As a litigation and trial partner, and leader in Latham & Watkins’ Boston office, Gwyn Williams has developed an extensive practice defending mass tort and product liability claims, as well as other types of personal injury/ wrongful death claims, for clients like Philip Morris International. In addition, she serves as global chair of the Product Liability, Mass Torts and Consumer Class Actions Practice, overseeing 80 Latham lawyers across jurisdictions.
She also provides product liability counseling to clients on matters such as the content and dissemination of product warnings, disclaimers of warranties, and indemnification strategies, and is a contributing author for the 50-State Survey of Consumer Class Action Law, published by the American Bar Association.
Williams is a longtime member of the firm’s Women Enriching Business Committee, whose mission includes promoting and supporting the success of women in the legal industry. For many years, she served on the firm’s Associates Committee, focused on associate progression, and held a position on its Reduced Pace Subcommittee, a role which allowed her to have a direct impact on the advancement of women at Latham.
She mentors women lawyers in the Boston office by participating in the local Women Lawyers Group, and maintaining an “open door” policy that allows mentees to reach out at any time with questions about business development, leadership and work-life balance – something she accomplished as a mother of three.
Asked what is her greatest accomplishment, Williams responds by saying it is still a work in progress. “I’m confident that helping to found and grow Latham’s Boston office, specifically the litigation and trial group, will ultimately be my greatest professional accomplishment.”
Williams offers this advice to young women: “Stick with it. If you’re struggling at work, talk to your mentors, talk to your peers. I can’t tell you the number of times I hear the story of a talented young woman who quit and it was the first anyone knew that she was unhappy.”