On June 14, 2024, The American Lawyer named three Williams & Connolly victories runners-up for “Litigator of the Week.” 
 
First, partner Ashley Hardin was recognized for her representation of Google and YouTube in obtaining a significant defense victory for technology companies facing claims from 617 school districts in 34 states related to teen social media addiction. In coordinated proceedings in California state court, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl dismissed the first four test cases with prejudice, finding that plaintiffs’ public nuisance claims “would create a broad web of indeterminate liability that the common law has heretofore refused to impose.” Along with Ashley, the Williams & Connolly team representing Google and YouTube included Joe Petrosinelli, Annie Showalter, and Lydia Weiant.
 
Second, on behalf of client Novant Health, Williams & Connolly successfully opposed the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) request for a preliminary injunction to block Novant’s acquisition of two hospitals in North Carolina. The firm served as lead trial counsel for Novant at the 7-day, 23-witness preliminary injunction hearing in early May 2024 before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. On June 5, 2024, the Court denied the FTC’s request for injunctive relief, finding that the FTC had not established that the transaction was likely to “substantially lessen competition,” or that the equities supported an injunction.  To the contrary, the Court recognized the potential benefits to competition – and to the two hospitals – from permitting the transaction. The Williams & Connolly trial team representing Novant included Heidi Hubbard, Jonathan Pitt, Beth Stewart, C.J. Pruski, and Liat Rome.
 
And lastly, Williams & Connolly successfully defended Celgene and Bristol-Myers Squibb against antitrust claims related to the companies’ cancer treatments Revlimid and Thalomid. After sixteen hours of argument held over two days last year, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey last week issued a 288-page opinion granting the companies’ motion to dismiss claims that they conspired with generic drug makers to delay the rollout of competition for the successful cancer medicine Revlimid. Partner Ben Greenblum argued the motion to dismiss. The Williams & Connolly team also included John Schmidtlein, Stan Fisher, David Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, Ed Barnidge and C.J. Pruski.