Williams & Connolly, one of Washington’s most storied litigation firms, traces its roots to one of the most formidable legal minds America has ever produced.
Edward Bennett Williams built a career defending the seemingly indefensible, representing a client list that ranged from Senator Joe McCarthy to Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa to Frank Sinatra.
Born on May 31, 1920, Williams graduated first in his class from the College of the Holy Cross before earning his law degree from Georgetown University Law School.
He began his professional career at Washington firm Hogan & Hartson in 1944, before establishing his own criminal law practice just five years later in 1949.
Williams rose quickly to national prominence through his representation of mobsters, labour unionists, and high-profile public officials in cases that often appeared unwinnable.
His client list included Adam Clayton Powell for criminal tax evasion, Hugh Hefner for alleged cocaine transportation, and John Connally, former Secretary of the Treasury under Richard Nixon, for bribery and perjury.
Williams eventually founded Williams and Connolly in Washington, D.C., a firm that remains recognised to this day for the exceptional calibre of its lawyers and litigators.
Beyond the courtroom, Williams was a passionate sports fan who turned his enthusiasm into ownership, acquiring stakes in not one but two major professional franchises.
He purchased the Baltimore Orioles in 1979 for $12 million from principal owner Jerold Hoffberger and minority owners including Zanvyl Krieger.
Williams was overjoyed in 1983 when the Orioles claimed the World Series, the same year the Washington Redskins captured the Super Bowl, giving him championship glory across two sports simultaneously.
His dual ownership ambitions, however, ran into conflict with NFL rules prohibiting owners from holding stakes in teams across multiple professional leagues.
Under pressure from NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, Williams sold his shares of the Redskins in 1979 to partner Jack Kent Cooke to comply with league policy.
It was once said that when “a rich man who is scared” needed help, Williams was the first call they made, a testament to his unmatched reputation in the courtroom.
Williams died of cancer on August 13, 1988, at the age of 68, ending a three-decade career that had made him the most feared trial lawyer in America.
His firm, Williams and Connolly, continues to operate as a litigation powerhouse in Washington, D.C., carrying forward the legacy of its remarkable founder.