Jack Williams is a trial lawyer who has practiced in both the civil and criminal areas. He has significant trial and litigation experience involving tobacco, automotive, asbestos, pharmaceutical, and civil rights claims. And he has counseled companies and individuals under investigation by government entities. Jack has tried more than 40 cases to verdict.
Jack is a former federal prosecutor. He was the government's lead trial counsel or co-counsel in fraud and corruption cases in which convictions were obtained on behalf of the United States. Jack has extensive experience in grand jury investigations. He was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Secret Service for leading the successful investigation and prosecution of a large bank fraud and money laundering conspiracy operating throughout the southeast United States.
In 2003, Governor Sonny Perdue appointed Jack to a seat on the five-member State Ethics Commission, which enforces Georgia's campaign finance disclosure and reporting requirements. He served on the Commission until January 2007 and is a past chair. He also served by appointment and chaired the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel for the Northern District of Georgia.
Jack has been an adjunct faculty member at Emory Law School. And in 2019 and 2023, he traveled to Kenya and Tanzania to train lawyers and prison inmates as part of a Firm pro bono initiative.
Jack played professional football for seven years, with the then-St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL and the Ottawa Rough Riders and Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL.
Experience
The following represents experience acquired prior to joining Jones Day.
Served as trial counsel for one of the defendants in the multibillion dollar Louisiana medical monitoring class action, Scott, et al. v. The American Tobacco Company, Inc., et al. The trial lasted nearly three years from 2001 to 2004. Plaintiffs sought a $10 billion medical monitoring fund to cover a wide variety of diagnostic tests for cancer, heart disease, and respiratory ailments. In a sweeping victory on the medical monitoring claim, the jury found in the defendants' favor on every medical test sought by plaintiffs. The defendants also won a defense verdict on each of the plaintiffs' claims for product defect.
Successfully defended before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit several convictions obtained on behalf of the United States.
Trial counsel in a case in which a securities dealer defrauded 45 investors out of more than $3.5 million in a four-year Ponzi scheme.
Trial counsel in a case in which a mortgage company owner defrauded a local bank out of more than $1.2 million in an extensive check-kiting scheme.
Trial counsel in a month-long jury trial in which a criminal defense lawyer was convicted on corruption charges.
Represented an Atlanta bank that was defrauded of several million dollars via a complex factoring scheme.
Represented a former insulation contractor embroiled in asbestos litigation.
Trial counsel to Americasmart Real Estate in a jury trial in Superior Court of Fulton County in which the jury returned a verdict on Americasmart's behalf.
Defended a multinational pharmaceutical company in personal injury litigation involving one of the world's best-selling prescription medications.
Served as trial counsel in Taylor v. General Motors Corporation, in which General Motors obtained a defense verdict after an eight-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Successfully defended before the Georgia Supreme Court the case Love v. Whirlpool, et al., 264 Ga. 701, 449 S.E.2d 602 (1994), in which the court upheld the constitutionality of Georgia's Statute of Repose.
- University of Michigan (J.D. 1989); Cleveland State University (M.B.A. in Accounting and Tax 1985); Bowling Green State University (B.S. in Business Administration 1980)
- Georgia, Florida, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Georgia and the Middle District of Florida
- Assistant United States Attorney, Northern District of Georgia (1995-2000)
Master, Bleckley Inn of Court
Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society (membership in LCA is limited, representing less than one half of 1 percent of American lawyers, and is by invitation only; served as president of LCA in 2010)
Leadership Georgia (2004)