GREGORY WILLIAMS, a co-leader of the firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy practice, was named “International Arbitration Litigator of the Year” in 2023 by Benchmark Litigation and has been shortlisted for the same recognition for 2025. He is also a member of the firm's Litigation group. His practice focuses on complex commercial arbitration and litigation and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). His diverse experience includes serving as lead counsel in high-stakes disputes involving a wide range of claims cutting across several industries, including construction, energy, aerospace, defense and government contracts, mining, shipping, infrastructure, life sciences, technology, crypto, financial services, and more.
Greg’s matters are frequently multifaceted, with parallel or related proceedings in multiple forums. For example, Greg successfully represented a publicly traded, clean energy company in a wide-ranging dispute with an international energy company concerning exclusive rights and more than US$1 billion in claims and counterclaims. The dispute featured parallel arbitrations seated in London and Singapore, three arbitrations seated in Korea, a books-and-records demand in Delaware Chancery Court, and a securities claim in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. After a bench trial, he obtained a landmark decision for the client in the Delaware action. The parties entered into a settlement agreement, including a multimillion-dollar order for its modules, confirming the fuel cell company’s exclusive rights to market its technology in Asia. All claims against the fuel cell company were dismissed with prejudice and without compensation.
Further in the energy space, Greg has served as lead counsel in a number of international arbitration and international litigation matters. He represented a consortium of U.S. and international oil and gas companies in a US$2 billion dispute related to off-shore oil leases. He represented a Swiss drilling company in connection with a dispute stemming from an acquisition related to hundreds of millions of dollars in customs duties for a Brazilian oil rig. In both matters, Greg’s clients prevailed.
Greg regularly handles matters involving foreign sovereigns and their state-owned entities. He represented a global defense contractor in a dispute with the South Korean government relating to a multibillion-dollar upgrade of Korea’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets. He obtained summary judgment in a U.S. suit declaring that Korea’s claims impermissibly undermined U.S. national security interests. In so doing, he obtained the first-ever foreign anti-suit injunction against a foreign sovereign in the history of U.S. jurisprudence. Further, he convinced the Fourth Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision, despite an amicus brief by the Executive Branch challenging a global defense contractor’s national security arguments. Greg advised the contractor with respect to the parallel Korean suit. The Korean Supreme Court recently affirmed the global defense contractor’s victory in that action as well.
Greg currently represents Antrix Corp. Ltd., an Indian state-owned entity that serves as the commercial arm of India's Department of Space, in U.S. Supreme Court proceedings related to the recognition and enforcement of a US$1.3 billion arbitral award. The case presents the question of whether a plaintiff must prove minimum contacts before a federal court may assert personal jurisdiction over a foreign state sued under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and raises multiple related issues.
Greg's practice spans the world. In addition to the Asian, European, African, and Middle Eastern matters noted above, Greg represented the leading South American pharmaceuticals company against a major U.S. branded pharmaceutical company in an international arbitration seated in Geneva relating to distribution rights to a blockbuster drug through Latin America. The South American pharmaceutical company prevailed.
Greg’s FCPA experience runs the gamut, from managing world-wide internal investigations; to conducting due diligence on international agents, joint venture partners, and other third parties; to designing corporate anti-corruption compliance and training programs.
Greg has received numerous recognitions for his client service. Recently, he was recognized by Chambers USA for Nationwide International Arbitration: Counsel (2024), where he is described by clients as “first class,” “smart, strategic, and collaborative,” and “a very good oral advocate.” Greg is also named in the 2024 Lawdragon “500 Leading Global Litigators.” Additionally, Greg has received recognition as a "Litigation Star" by Benchmark Litigation in both the District of Columbia and United States National jurisdictions for the last several years, most recently in 2025, and the National Law Journal named him a "Litigation Trailblazer."