Steven N. Williams

Practice areas

Antitrust Litigation, Consumer Law, Securities Litigation

Focus areas

Antitrust & Trade Litigation, Consumer Protection

With an extensive career spanning over twenty-five years, Steven N. Williams has effectively and prominently managed all facets of litigation and trial proceedings in both state and federal courts, as well as private arbitration.

Mr. Williams has played a pivotal role in several high-profile antitrust class action lawsuits within the United States during the past ten years. These include notable cases such as In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation, In re Static Random Access Memory Litigation, Precision Associates v. Panalpina World Transport, and In re Transpacific Air Transportation Litigation. His contributions have resulted in the recovery of over $2 billion in damages and have led to groundbreaking legal precedents. Noteworthy examples include influencing decisions that narrowed the scope of the Filed Rate Doctrine and enabled civil damage claims in cases such as E. & J. Gallo Winery v. EnCana Corp., 503 F.3d 1027 (2007), and Wortman v. All Nippon Airways, 854 F.3d 606 (2017). He also secured a ruling that established the availability of “umbrella damages” under California state law, as demonstrated in County of San Mateo v. CSL, Ltd., 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 116342 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 20, 2014). Notably, he represented a plaintiff class of content moderators against Facebook, Inc., resulting in a precedent-setting settlement of $52 million along with workplace improvements.

Formerly a prominent partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP, Mr. Williams specializes in litigation, trial advocacy, and client consultation. His focus primarily centers on representing civil plaintiffs in antitrust matters. He has held leadership roles in more than a dozen antitrust class actions across the United States. Throughout his career, he has advocated for claimants in a diverse range of cases encompassing areas like memory chips, pharmaceuticals, air passenger and cargo transportation, electronic components, and various industries. He has been entrusted to represent both classes and individuals, including esteemed entities such as the Chief Justice of California, the Judicial Council of California, Consumers Union of United States, Inc., and the United Farm Workers, among others.

Beyond his legal practice, Mr. Williams is an accomplished author and speaker. His expertise extends to antitrust law, multidistrict litigation, complex litigation, electronic discovery, and regulatory developments in environmental law, among other subjects. He has delivered talks at prestigious events including the American Bar Association Antitrust Section Spring Meeting, the California State Bar Antitrust, UCL and Privacy Section, and the New York State Bar Association Antitrust Section. He is an active participant in various legal committees and associations, including the American Bar Association Antitrust Section’s International Cartel Task Force and Executive Committee of the Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws.

Furthermore, Mr. Williams is involved in promoting diversity and justice. He serves on the Executive Committee of the California Lawyers Association Section on Antitrust, Unfair Competition Law, and Privacy Law. He was also the chair of the 2017 Golden State Antitrust Institute and holds leadership positions with organizations such as Public Justice and Community Gatepath.

Mr. Williams earned his J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law and holds a B.A. in Russian and Slavic Studies from New York University.