Washington, D.C. – Sidley is pleased to announce that Gregory Williams and Richard Smith have joined the firm as partners in the Litigation practice group. They will be based in Sidley’s Washington D.C. office.
Mr. Williams will serve as a co-leader of the firm’s Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy Practice. He joins from Wiley Rein LLP’s Global Disputes practice where he previously held the position of head of the Global Disputes practice and was a member of its Management Committee. Mr. Smith also joins from Wiley Rein LLP, where he was the co-chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation group.
“Adding Greg and Richard to our growing global Litigation practice group is a very strategic hire for us,” said Bruce Braun, global co-leader of the firm’s Litigation practice group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. “They are accomplished and formidable litigators that built impressive arbitration and commercial litigation practices across a number of industries for more than two decades.”
Mr. Williams is a leading international arbitration lawyer and commercial litigator. He serves as lead counsel in complex and high-profile litigation and arbitration matters, including large companies in the defense, aerospace, real estate, technology, financial, and other sectors in commercial arbitration and investor-state disputes. Mr. Williams was named Benchmark Litigation’s “International Arbitration Litigator of the Year” in 2023.
Mr. Smith is a distinguished commercial litigator with substantial trial experience across a broad range of industries. His commercial litigation practice spans high-value environmental, healthcare, intellectual property, antitrust, product liability, and complex litigation. Mr. Smith is included in Benchmark Litigation 2024 guide as a “Litigation Star.”
“Sidley’s global Litigation practice group is a powerhouse of elite litigators. Greg and Richard have a track record of success in high profile arbitration and commercial proceedings, making them the perfect fit to bolster our leading platform for clients,” said Kristin Graham Koehler, managing partner of Sidley’s Washington, D.C. office and member of the firm’s Management Committee. “These hires, coupled with the recent arrival of partners like Kenneth Polite, Jennifer Saulino, and Carrie Mahan, make Sidley and our D.C. office the top destination practice for existing and potential clients’ most demanding litigation needs.”
Sidley is “Built to Win” at each stage of the litigation process and counts more than 750 litigators worldwide. With true geographic reach, the firm can field winning litigation teams in virtually any forum where its clients find themselves facing a dispute.
Sidley is an elite global law firm. With 2,300 lawyers, annual revenue of US$3.1 billion, and experience that spans 158 years, we have established a reputation using Built to Win℠ legal strategies in successfully representing clients in more than 70 countries on complex transactional, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters.
With 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial and financial hubs throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific, our perspective and our reach are truly global. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 80 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape.
Matt Messinger, Director, Public Relations, +1 312 456 4009
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