Recent polling shows that Americans are dissatisfied with corporations, but Williams said they do far more good than harm. The white collar defense attorney has defended the likes of NBC Universal Media LLC and Wells Fargo against allegations of age discrimination, predatory lending and unfair business practices.
"I think that representing major corporations is a privilege. I believe that because most major corporations in America are run well. That's why they've been successful," said Williams, who joined Proskauer from Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP earlier this year.
"But in any big organization you are going to have an individual, sometimes more than one individual, who doesn't act consistently with the values of the organization," said Williams. He said part of his job is to investigate those things.
For example, a suit against Wells Fargo by the city of Los Angeles claims the bank instituted unreasonable sales goals on its employees, resulting in customers having their signatures forged and accounts opened up in their names without their knowledge. Earlier this month, the case settled with Wells Fargo paying $50 million to the city and county of Los Angeles. The People of the State of California v. Wells Fargo, BC580778 (L.A. Super Ct., filed May 4, 2015).
Williams argued Wells Fargo didn't want that to happen and claims it was victim to rogue employees who opened up accounts as an incentive for extra compensation. Wells Fargo fired 5,300 employees as a result of the nationwide scheme.
In a suit against NBC, a terminated employee alleged that he was fired because of his old age. "They hired him when he was 66 and terminated him when he was 72," Williams said. NBC claims age had nothing to do with the firing, arguing it was because he refused to do the job he was assigned. The company had gone through an overhaul, and the employee said he wasn't going to change the way he had been operating in the business for many years. Williams was lead trial counsel and was able to settle on favorable terms, he said. Snepp v. NBCUniversal Media LLC, BC523279 (L.A. Super Ct., filed Oct. 1, 2013).
"I like to think I am someone who feels confident to take a matter from start to finish ? from the start all the way to trial before a jury or judge," Williams said.
His next big trial is a bellwether case in Philadelphia federal court scheduled Sept. 19, where plaintiffs are suing his client Johnson & Johnson Services Inc. and its subsidiary McNeil Consumer Healthcare for claims that recommended doses of Tylenol causes acute liver failure and death. "There is a reason it has max dosage you take. People who have gotten liver failure have taken too much," Williams said.
— Justin Kloczko
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