Williams & Connolly's business counseling and advisory services includes transactional, commercial, finance, governance, executive employment and tax practices, and complements its position as a preeminent litigation law firm. The firm's corporate and business clients recognize that many of its litigation strengths inform its transactional and commercial practice. This recognition is reflected in the fact that Williams & Connolly has been frequently ranked as one of the five best corporate law firms in Washington, D.C. in the annual special issue of Corporate Board Member's list of "America's Best Corporate Law Firms." Correspondingly, the firm’s experience developed in its business counseling and advisory services adds to its litigation capabilities.

The firm represents diverse businesses of all sizes, including publicly-traded and privately-held companies, individual entrepreneurs, not-for-profit entities, trade associations, schools and institutions of higher learning, religious entities, real estate ventures and high-technology companies. Williams & Connolly’s business and tax practices serve the needs of both U.S. and foreign clients, including U.S. companies doing business both domestically and overseas, foreign companies and their domestic subsidiaries and affiliates, and foreign governments and companies owned by foreign governments.

Williams & Connolly represents companies at all stages of the business cycle, from start-ups to mature businesses. For clients just starting out, the firm’s business counseling lawyers can guide them through the often-bewildering array of issues faced at the inception of a business. The firm assists start-ups with all kinds of legal needs, including equity and debt capital raising, setting up governance procedures and codes of conduct, negotiating executive employment and compensation arrangements, leasing space, negotiating complex agreements and tax planning. For established enterprises, the group’s broad experience, tempered by its learning from working closely with our litigation practice, allows it to offer wide-ranging and astute legal advice.

In a well-known and unique part of its practice, the firm offers counseling services to authors seeking to publish their stories, former government officials seeking to transition to the private sector, and TV correspondents, anchors and producers seeking to further their careers. Lawyers at the firm who handle business counseling and provide business advisory services also regularly share their knowledge in federal programs with lawyers in the firm’s federal programs and government contracts practice to provide their clients with the full range of Williams & Connolly's business and corporate legal experience.