Tell us about your top U.S. Supreme Court or federal appeals court victory over the past year and how you and your team achieved the win.

Our U.S. Supreme Court victory in Digital Realty v. Somers probably got the most attention, but the most satisfying victory was our win in the Second Circuit in Litvak v. United States, the closely watched securities-fraud case involving a bond trader who was convicted for misrepresenting the profits on sales to counterparties.  I argued Mr. Litvak's case four times in the Second Circuit over a four-year period. The Second Circuit vacated his convictions twice, after which the Connecticut United States Attorney's Office decided not to pursue a further retrial. Mr. Litvak went from being in federal prison one morning to being home with his family that same evening. There is nothing more personally gratifying than the complete exoneration of an individual client in a criminal case.

How did your firm approach appellate success over the past year?

Our approach hasn't changed during the ten years I've been at Williams & Connolly. We never take success for granted, but we aim to succeed in every case we handle. And we never turn down a case simply because we're afraid we might lose.

What practice advice would you give your younger self?

A legal career is not linear; it develops in an organic way that can sometimes be hard to predict.  Don't be afraid to try new things or work on cases outside your comfort zone. And don't forget to make time for life outside the office.

Responses submitted by Kannon Shanmugam, a partner at Williams & Connolly.