Lonnie J. Williams, Jr.
Equity Partner, Board Member, and Managing Partner
Phoenix Office – Stinson LLP
Description of field of expertise
Ever wonder what cows eat? Lonnie knows. Want to know the ends and outs of an Auto Dealership? Give Williams a call. And how exactly does electricity get from the power plant to your hairdryer? Lonnie can tell you that, too. Williams knows these things because he prides himself on getting to know the client’s business. Lonnie operates under the mantra if you don’t understand your client’s business, how can you explain that business to a jury or judge
Lonnie is a trial lawyer who has particular experience in commercial business and employment-related matters and has represented businesses in various industries.
He is a graduate of Yale Law School and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in America. Lonnie is a past president of the National Conference of Bar Presidents. He has also been listed in the Best Lawyers in America since1995 to the Commercial Litigation and Labor and Employment Law. Lonnie has been profiled in AZ Business Magazine as a Business Leaders on many occasions.
Most recently, Lonnie was selected as a 2021 Super Lawyer in the area of Business Litigation. Lonnie is a nationally recognized trial lawyer, defending clients in all aspects of their businesses in courts throughout the United States. He focuses his practice on representing companies in class actions and other significant litigation. Recognized for excellence by his clients and peers, Lonnie’s track record of success with judges, juries, and arbitrators across the country gives him an edge in the courtroom and other settings.
What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?
Those wanting to do trial work need to be analytical. You need to be willing to take risks. You need to be a people person. By that, I mean someone willing to listen to what someone is saying and analyze that information for truthfulness and how it can be used for or against your client’s interests. However, the best advice I can provide you is the same that my father gave me as a young boy. He didn’t make this up but simply referred to one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous sayings, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michael Angelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”