Winston & Strawn

Winston & Strawn LLP
Headquarters Leo Burnett Building
Chicago, Illinois
United States
No. of offices 16 total, 7 international
No. of attorneys 900 (2017)
No. of employees approximately 2,000 total
Key people Dan K. Webb (Co-Executive Chairman)
Jeffrey L. Kessler (Co-Executive Chairman)
Thomas P. Fitzgerald (Chairman)
Michael S. Elkin (Vice-Chairman)
Revenue Increase US$ 985 million (2017)[1]
Date founded 1853
Founder Frederick H. Winston
Company type Limited liability partnership
Website www.winston.com

Winston & Strawn LLP is an international law firm with nearly 1,000 attorneys in 16 offices in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Founded in 1853, it is the oldest law firm in the city of Chicago[2] and one of the largest law firms in the world. Known as a "litigation powerhouse," the firm is recognized for its intellectual property litigation and financial services disputes practices in Silicon Valley and New York, respectively.[3][4] Winston & Strawn is regarded as an important intellectual property law firm in Texas[5] and is regularly recognized for its sports law practice.[6] In 2016, Winston & Strawn became the first Chicago law firm to match the record starting salary of $180,000 for first-year associates.[7][8] Winston & Strawn is known for its progressive workplace programs, its parental leave policies considered "cutting edge for large law firms."[9][10] The firm's record 2017 was featured in The American Lawyer.[11][12]

History and Timeline

Winston & Strawn LLP was founded in Chicago in 1853 by Frederick H. Winston, who was joined by the firm's other name partner, Silas H. Strawn, in 1892.[13]

Through a series of mergers, office openings, and lateral hires, Winston & Strawn has established a global footprint.

  • May 2012: 60 attorneys join from Dewey & LeBoeuf, bolstering the firm's already strong litigation practice.[14][15]
  • February 2017: Firm opens an office in Dallas with 23 partners from eight different law firms in Texas,[16] the move described in the press as a "seismic shift" in the North Texas legal landscape.[17][18]
  • July–September 2017: Adds 12 partners to its employee benefits and executive compensation team, all from McDermott Will & Emery LLP[19]
  • August 2017: Award-winning multidisciplinary Latin America team joins in New York[20]

Notable Representations

Winston & Strawn has handled high-profile matters for its clients, including its organizing the Union Stockyard and Transit Company in 1894; challenging the War Powers Act in 1944 on behalf of department store Montgomery Ward; and representing the Atlanta Braves baseball franchise in 1966 litigation involving its relocation from Milwaukee to Atlanta. More recently:

  • 2017 - Achieved a favorable settlement for client Beef Products, Inc., BPI Technology, Inc., and Freezing Machines, Inc. (BPI) in a lawsuit against ABC News that has been described as "one of the most high-stakes defamation court battles in U.S. history."[21][22]
  • 2016 - On behalf of Warner Chilcott (owned by Teva Pharmaceuticals), secured a judgment invalidating the patent for NuvaRing®—the first combined contraceptive vaginal ring marketed in the U.S. The judgment struck down Merck & Co's patent infringement claims.[23][24]
  • 2016 - Represented Verizon as Employment & Employee Benefits Counsel in Acquisition of Yahoo![25][26]
  • 2016 - Led by Dan Webb, released report regarding review of the Federal Civil Rights Litigation Division of the City of Chicago Department of Law[27][28]
  • 2015 - Obtained a win before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Omnicare Inc.[29]
  • In a antitrust lawsuit led by Jeffrey Kessler,[30] representing a group of current and former college athletes seeking to strike down unlawful compensation restraints imposed by the NCAA on Division I men's basketball and football programs
  • Represented Luxottica Group S.p.A. in acquisitions, including its $1.6 billion hostile takeover of U.S. Shoe Corporation, owner of LensCrafters, in 1995 and its 2007 $2 billion acquisition of Oakley[31][32]
  • 2007 - Assisted Lear Corporation in connection with the bid for the company by Carl Icahn.[33]
  • 2006 - Represented the New York Stock Exchange in the Grasso compensation investigation and subsequent litigation[34]
  • 2002 - Achieved a victory for Microsoft Corporation in the remedy phase of its battle against federal and state antitrust claims[35]
  • 2001 - Counseled Barr Laboratories to invalidate a key patent on Prozac in a case Fortune magazine calls "the mother of all patent challenges"[36]
  • 1994 - Defended General Electric in its industrial diamond price-fixing case, led by Dan K. Webb[37]

Notable Current and Former Employees

Pro Bono and Community Service

Winston & Strawn was one of the first large law firms in the country to adopt a written pro bono policy (in 1991), to become a signatory to the Pro Bono Institute Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge,[46] to establish a well-funded charitable foundation, and to hire a full-time Director of Public Interest Law.

The firm's Pro Bono Policy was revised in 2004 to incorporate Winston's 150th anniversary Pro Bono Pledge to devote at least 35 hours per lawyer to pro bono work each year. Winston has provided representation in matters involving community economic development, criminal defense, First Amendment/free speech, contested guardianship, landlord/tenant, not-for-profit corporate organization, political asylum, post-conviction relief in death penalty cases, and public assistance.[47]

The firm has helps the Innocence Project, an advocacy organization that seeks to exonerate persons convicted of criminal offences based on DNA evidence. The firm's collaboration with the Project has been successful, involving hundreds of attorneys, paralegals, IT staff, summer associates, and others at the firm; more than 200 persons who were wrongfully convicted have now been exonerated.[48][49]

In 2008, the firm led the Chicago Bar Foundation's "Campaign for Justice," which was a citywide effort to raise more than $1 million to support the city's 250 public interest lawyers and the 40 legal aid organizations they work for.

Created in 2011, the Winston & Strawn LLP Fellowship Program places incoming associates in positions at local public interest law organizations of their choice during the period following graduation and prior to their official start date at the firm. The fellowship program was created to provide participating associates an opportunity to gain hands-on legal experience, and also provide much needed service to public interest law organizations.

Winston & Strawn provides financial support to civic and charitable organizations through the Winston & Strawn Foundation, established in 1990.

References

  1. ↑ . The American Lawyer (03-12-2018). Retrieved on 03-13-2018.
  2. ↑ "Winston & Strawn LLP - The Inside View". Chambers Associate. February 20, 2018.
  3. ↑ Newsham, Jack (August 9, 2016). "Litigation Powerhouse: Winston & Strawn". Law360.
  4. ↑ Qualters, Sheri (August 20, 2015). "Winston & Strawn". The National Law Journal.
  5. ↑ Nevitt, Heather (September 12, 2016). "Texas Lawyer Announces Its 2016 Litigation Departments of the Year". Texas Lawyer.
  6. ↑ "Winston & Strawn LLP". U.S. News - Best Law Firms.
  7. ↑ "Winston & Strawn to pay junior lawyers $180,000". Crain's Chicago Business. June 8, 2016.
  8. ↑ Bushey, Claire (June 25, 2016). "At Chicago law firms, a salary war breaks out after years of deep freeze". Crain's Chicago Business.
  9. ↑ Zaretsky, Staci (June 8, 2016). "Leading Biglaw Firm Raises Salaries For All U.S. Associates". Above the Law.
  10. ↑ Ferro, Shane (May 18, 2016). "This Big Law Firm Just Stepped Into The 21st Century".
  11. ↑ Strom, Roy (December 1, 2017). "Winston & Strawn's Expansion Drive Pushes the Firm Toward a Record Year". The American Lawyer.
  12. ↑ Strom, Roy (March 12, 2018). "Winston & Strawn's Record Year Sees Revenue Rise 19 Percent". The American Lawyer.
  13. ↑ "Winston & Strawn LLP". Vault.
  14. ↑ "Dewey's Jeffrey Kessler Heading to Winston & Strawn". The New York Times. May 9, 2012.
  15. ↑ Leonhardt, Megan (May 9, 2012). "Leadership At Dewey Dwindles As Partners Bolt To Rivals". Law360.
  16. ↑ Sullivan, Casey (February 6, 2017). "Winston Hires 23 Partners, Opens Dallas Office". Bloomberg Big Law Business.
  17. ↑ Hunter, Glenn (February 6, 2017). "Chicago Law Firm Raids DFW Firms, Snagging 'Apex Predators' for New Dallas Office". D Magazine.
  18. ↑ Roberson, Jason (June 23, 2017). "Legal shock and awe in Dallas: Inside Winston & Strawn's prominent talent haul". Dallas Business Journal.
  19. ↑ Simpson, Dave (July 13, 2017). "Winston & Strawn Lures McDermott Worker Benefits Team". Law360.
  20. ↑ Muskett-Ford, Thomas (August 1, 2017). "Chadbourne's NYC LatAm group pulls out of Norton Rose merger". Latin Lawyer.
  21. ↑ Huffstutter, P.J.; Graybow, Martha (March 4, 2013). "Special Report: Did Diane Sawyer smear "pink slime"?". Reuters.
  22. ↑ Kludt, Tom (August 9, 2017). "Disney paying at least $177 million to settle 'pink slime' lawsuit". CNN Money.
  23. ↑ Grzincic, Barbara (August 29, 2016). "Judge invalidates Merck's NuvaRing patent claims". Reuters.
  24. ↑ Penton, Kevin (August 30, 2016). "Merck Patent For Contraceptive NuvaRing Nixed As Obvious". Law360.
  25. ↑ Swisher, Kara (July 25, 2016). "As expected, Verizon says it will buy Yahoo for $4.83 billion".
  26. ↑ Edwards, Blake (July 25, 2016). "Verizon and Yahoo Ink Deal: Eight Big Law Firms Involved".
  27. ↑ St. Clair, Staci (July 21, 2016). "Report recommends dozens of reforms at Chicago's Law Department".
  28. ↑ Mills, Jack (January 11, 2016). "Ex-federal prosecutor named in third-party review of city's Law Department".
  29. ↑ Newsham, Jack (August 9, 2016). "Litigation Powerhouse: Winston & Strawn". Law360.
  30. ↑ Koroma, Salima; Gregory, Sean (October 8, 2014). "The Long and Winding Road to Paying College Players". Time.
  31. ↑ TAGLIABUE, JOHN (April 18, 1995). "Luxottica to Acquire U.S. Shoe for $1.4 Billion".
  32. ↑ "OAKLEY TO MERGE INTO LUXOTTICA GROUP FOR US$29.30 PER SHARE". June 21, 2007.
  33. ↑ "IN RE: LEAR CORPORATION SHAREHOLDER LITIGATION". FindLaw. June 15, 2007.
  34. ↑ Lucchetti, Aaron (October 20, 2006). "Grasso Is Ordered To Repay Millions In Compensation". The Wall Street Journal.
  35. ↑ Shiver, Jube (March 17, 2002). "Legal Heavyweights Add Punch to the Microsoft Case". Los Angeles Times.
  36. ↑ "A Bitter Pill Prozac made Eli Lilly. Then along came a feisty generic maker called Barr Labs. Their battle gives new meaning to the term 'drug war.' - August 13, 2001". money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
  37. ↑ Frantz, Douglas (1994-12-06). "G.E. Wins in Diamond Price Case". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  38. ↑ Pearlman, Jeffrey (December 19, 2003). "For the love of Legos, a lawyer makes his case". Los Angeles Times.
  39. ↑ Lyons, Craig; Jacobs, Becky (November 21, 2017). "Public corruption, pipe bombs and the importance of tips: New U.S. attorney for northern Indiana speaks out". Chicago Tribune.
  40. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". The White House. November 2, 2017.
  41. ↑ Rasmussen, Kristen (October 11, 2017). "Former Greenberg Traurig Partner Named as Acting HHS Secretary". The National Law Journal.
  42. ↑ Waldron, Travis (August 7, 2017). "A Trip To The Men's Room Turned Jeff Kessler Into The NCAA's Worst Nightmare". The Huffington Post.
  43. ↑ Gartland, Dan (August 28, 2017). "Report: NFLPA Hires Deflategate Lawyer Jeffrey Kessler to Assist With Ezekiel Elliott Appeal". Sports Illustrated.
  44. ↑ Strom, Roy (September 1, 2017). "Lifetime Achiever: Dan Webb, Winston & Strawn". The American Lawyer.
  45. ↑ "Nationally Recognized White Collar Defense and Trial Attorney Joins Winston & Strawn". Winston & Strawn LLP. May 23, 2018.
  46. ↑ "LAW FIRM PRO BONO PROJECT MEMBERS". Pro Bono Institute.
  47. ↑ "Pro Bono Reporter - Fall 2017". Winston & Strawn LLP. September 2017.
  48. ↑ "Pro Bono Happy Hour - Greg McConnell, Winston & Strawn (Part 1)". YouTube. September 7, 2017.
  49. ↑ "Pro Bono Happy Hour - Greg McConnell, Winston & Strawn (Part 2)". YouTube. September 14, 2017.
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