Firm News
Katten Adds Stephen Williamson and Jonathan Edgar as Charlotte-based Litigation Partners
March 26, 2009
CHARLOTTE – Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is pleased to announce that Stephen B. Williamson and Jonathan H. Edgar have joined the firm’s Charlotte office as partners in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. Both attorneys previously practiced in the Charlotte office of McGuireWoods LLP.
The addition of Mr. Williamson and Mr. Edgar furthers Katten's plan for the strategic growth of its Charlotte office, during a time when other national law firms are scaling back in the Charlotte market. Last month, Deborah L. Fletcher also joined Katten’s Charlotte office as a partner in the firm’s Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice.
Stephen B. Willamson
A litigator experienced in both state and federal courts, Mr. Williamson focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation and has significant experience in the areas of employment, construction and asbestos litigation. Mr. Williamson’s experience includes long-term relationships representing the second-largest U.S.-based contractor and leading global engineering, construction and services company; one of the world’s leading commercial boiler manufacturers; and a regional hospital system in all investigations, policy matters and workplace-related litigation.
Mr. Williamson’s commercial litigation highlights include a multi-million dollar verdict for the plaintiff arising out of the sale of Boeing 727, British Aircraft Corporation BAC-111 and Cessna Citation II commercial aircraft; a multi-million dollar settlement for an international construction company in a dispute arising from an interstate highway project; representation of an interstate transportation company in mass tort litigation arising out of an accident; and the defense of a primary defendant in one of North Carolina’s largest commercial construction litigation disputes. He currently represents a manufacturer in multi-plaintiff mass tort litigation involving more than 3,000 plaintiffs alleging cumulative claims exceeding $500 million.
Mr. Williamson has also assisted clients facing class action and mass tort claims, successfully defeating cases at the class certification stage. In non-class action matters, he has consulted with and assisted a highway contractor in resolving contract disputes with the North Carolina Department of Transportation arising out of a $200 million interstate highway project and assisted a principal party facing litigation involving the $300 million Charlotte Light Rail Project.
Mr. Williamson frequently lectures on construction, ethics and employment law issues. He received his received his B.S. from Sam Houston State University in 1990 and his J.D. from Campbell University in 1993.
Jonathan H. Edgar
Mr. Edgar's practice includes all aspects of civil commercial litigation, with a focus on contract disputes, business torts, and complex corporate and business litigation. His experience includes defending clients against product liability claims, as well as the representation of banks and credit card companies in the defense of consumer finance litigation. Mr. Edgar represents clients in both federal and state courts, as well as in commercial arbitration forums. He also advises clients on a variety of pre-litigation matters relating to commercial contracts, with a view toward avoiding litigation.
Mr. Edgar received his B.A. from Princeton University in 1997, and his J.D. from George Washington University Law School, with honors, in 2000.
Katten’s trial lawyers are adept at achieving the business objectives of clients in cases ranging from contract disputes and regulatory matters to securities class action lawsuits and other complex commercial litigation. The firm serves its clients with a broad, national litigation practice staffed in each of its offices by attorneys whose backgrounds and experiences are as varied as the clients they serve. As advocates and counselors, Katten’s litigators succeed by combining knowledge of their clients' business with expertise in the law and the art of advocacy. The attorneys’ experience and foresight leads to sound assessments of business and legal risks, accurate estimates of costs of defense, and, when necessary, favorable settlements. As a result, Katten can deliver cost-effective services on multi-million dollar cases and efficiently respond to smaller matters.