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Danielle Williams is a high-stakes business litigation lawyer. She handles significant, high-profile disputes for publicly traded and privately held companies involving material damages demands. Over her career, she has represented clients in high‑stakes matters in federal and state courts across the country and in arbitrations in patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, copyright infringement, breach of contract, antitrust, and environmental matters. Her patent infringement cases have been concentrated in the top patent litigation courts in the country and span a variety of technologies and industries including financial services, high tech, semiconductors, telecommunications, software, mobile applications, and consumer products.

Most recently, she helped lead the antitrust trial brought by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, a case that reshaped the sport of premier stock car racing and earned her Am Law Litigator of the Week recognition.

Building on her MBA, Danielle is one of the firm’s go-to attorneys for damages issues. She regularly is brought in to develop damages strategy at all stages of cases, including at trial.

Danielle is regularly recognized as a leading lawyer in industry publications and has been ranked in The Best Lawyers in America© for Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property Litigation since 2016 and Patent Litigation since 2017. She was recognized as an IAM Global Leader in 2026. She was listed in the 2022–2025 IAM Patent 1000, which commented that she is a “zealous litigator…with an abundance of trial experience” who “knows how to address key issues and make all the right strategic plays.”

Danielle previously served as managing partner of a major Am Law 50 office and co‑chaired a global IP practice. She co‑founded the ChIPs Carolinas Chapter and has driven initiatives that strengthened pipelines across the profession.

Outside of the law, she has served on many boards, including National Sports Media Association, Wake Forest University’s Face to Face, Salem Academy and College, NextNow for UNC School of Arts, and Brenner Children’s Hospital, among others.

Danielle has first-chaired, led, and consulted in numerous litigations in multiple venues, including the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals; the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals; the United States International Trade Commission (ITC); the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); Federal District Courts in North Carolina (W.D.N.C., M.D.N.C., E.D.N.C.), Georgia (N.D. Ga.), California (N.D. Cal., C.D. Cal.), Texas (E.D. Tex., N.D. Tex. and W.D. Tex. including Waco), Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado, New Jersey, New York; as well as arbitrations before the ICC and AAA.

Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., Wake Forest University School of Law

Georgia

North Carolina

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Advisory Board, Brenner Children’s Hospital, 2003-2015

Advisory Board, Wake Forest University’s Face to Face Speaker series, 2020-present

Board Member, National Sports Media Association, 2017-2021

Board of Trustees, Forsyth Country Day School, 2015- 2021

Co-Founder and Board Member, ChIPs, Carolina Chapter, 2022- present

Spanish

Litigator of the Week for the antitrust trial brought by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, a case that reshaped the sport of premier stock car racing


The American Lawyer, December 19, 2025

Litigator of the Week Runner-Up for securing a preliminary injunction against NASCAR in the monopolization case brought on behalf of Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s racing team, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports Inc.


The American Lawyer, December 20, 2024

Litigator of the Week First Runner-Up for a defense verdict for U.S. Well Services LLC in a patent showdown with electric fracking rival Halliburton Energy Services Inc. Not only did jurors in Waco, Texas, find that U.S. Well Services did not infringe upon any of the three patents Halliburton asserted at trial, but they also found two of those patents invalid due to obviousness


The American Lawyer, September 1, 2023

IAM Patent 1000


IAM, 2022–2025

Global Leader


IAM, 2024–2025

Trade Secrets and Patents


WIPR Leaders, 2025

“Key Lawyer,” Intellectual Property: Patents: Litigation


The Legal 500 US, 2024–2025

Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property Litigation


The Best Lawyers in America®, 2016–2026

Patent Litigation


The Best Lawyers in America®, 2017-2026

“500 Leading Litigators in America” for IP & Patent Litigation


Lawdragon, 2026

“500 Leading Global IP Lawyers”


Lawdragon, 2025

“Women in Business Award”


Charlotte Business Journal, 2025

Women, Influence & Power in Law’s “Managing Partner of the Year”


Corporate Counsel, 2024

North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society


2016-2018, 2020

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Recognition

Litigator of the Week for the antitrust trial brought by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, a case that reshaped the sport of premier stock car racing


The American Lawyer, December 19, 2025

Litigator of the Week Runner-Up for securing a preliminary injunction against NASCAR in the monopolization case brought on behalf of Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s racing team, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports Inc.


The American Lawyer, December 20, 2024

Litigator of the Week First Runner-Up for a defense verdict for U.S. Well Services LLC in a patent showdown with electric fracking rival Halliburton Energy Services Inc. Not only did jurors in Waco, Texas, find that U.S. Well Services did not infringe upon any of the three patents Halliburton asserted at trial, but they also found two of those patents invalid due to obviousness


The American Lawyer, September 1, 2023

IAM Patent 1000


IAM, 2022–2025

Global Leader


IAM, 2024–2025

Trade Secrets and Patents


WIPR Leaders, 2025

“Key Lawyer,” Intellectual Property: Patents: Litigation


The Legal 500 US, 2024–2025

Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property Litigation


The Best Lawyers in America®, 2016–2026

Patent Litigation


The Best Lawyers in America®, 2017-2026

“500 Leading Litigators in America” for IP & Patent Litigation


Lawdragon, 2026

“500 Leading Global IP Lawyers”


Lawdragon, 2025

“Women in Business Award”


Charlotte Business Journal, 2025

Women, Influence & Power in Law’s “Managing Partner of the Year”


Corporate Counsel, 2024

North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society


2016-2018, 2020

Credentials

J.D., Wake Forest University School of Law

Georgia

North Carolina

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Advisory Board, Brenner Children’s Hospital, 2003-2015

Advisory Board, Wake Forest University’s Face to Face Speaker series, 2020-present

Board Member, National Sports Media Association, 2017-2021

Board of Trustees, Forsyth Country Day School, 2015- 2021

Co-Founder and Board Member, ChIPs, Carolina Chapter, 2022- present

Spanish

Litigator of the Week for the antitrust trial brought by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, a case that reshaped the sport of premier stock car racing


The American Lawyer, December 19, 2025

Litigator of the Week Runner-Up for securing a preliminary injunction against NASCAR in the monopolization case brought on behalf of Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s racing team, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports Inc.


The American Lawyer, December 20, 2024

Litigator of the Week First Runner-Up for a defense verdict for U.S. Well Services LLC in a patent showdown with electric fracking rival Halliburton Energy Services Inc. Not only did jurors in Waco, Texas, find that U.S. Well Services did not infringe upon any of the three patents Halliburton asserted at trial, but they also found two of those patents invalid due to obviousness


The American Lawyer, September 1, 2023

IAM Patent 1000


IAM, 2022–2025

Global Leader


IAM, 2024–2025

Trade Secrets and Patents


WIPR Leaders, 2025

“Key Lawyer,” Intellectual Property: Patents: Litigation


The Legal 500 US, 2024–2025

Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property Litigation


The Best Lawyers in America®, 2016–2026

Patent Litigation


The Best Lawyers in America®, 2017-2026

“500 Leading Litigators in America” for IP & Patent Litigation


Lawdragon, 2026

“500 Leading Global IP Lawyers”


Lawdragon, 2025

“Women in Business Award”


Charlotte Business Journal, 2025

Women, Influence & Power in Law’s “Managing Partner of the Year”


Corporate Counsel, 2024

North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society


2016-2018, 2020

Close

Recognition

Litigator of the Week for the antitrust trial brought by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, a case that reshaped the sport of premier stock car racing


The American Lawyer, December 19, 2025

Litigator of the Week Runner-Up for securing a preliminary injunction against NASCAR in the monopolization case brought on behalf of Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s racing team, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports Inc.


The American Lawyer, December 20, 2024

Litigator of the Week First Runner-Up for a defense verdict for U.S. Well Services LLC in a patent showdown with electric fracking rival Halliburton Energy Services Inc. Not only did jurors in Waco, Texas, find that U.S. Well Services did not infringe upon any of the three patents Halliburton asserted at trial, but they also found two of those patents invalid due to obviousness


The American Lawyer, September 1, 2023

IAM Patent 1000


IAM, 2022–2025

Global Leader


IAM, 2024–2025

Trade Secrets and Patents


WIPR Leaders, 2025

“Key Lawyer,” Intellectual Property: Patents: Litigation


The Legal 500 US, 2024–2025

Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property Litigation


The Best Lawyers in America®, 2016–2026

Patent Litigation


The Best Lawyers in America®, 2017-2026

“500 Leading Litigators in America” for IP & Patent Litigation


Lawdragon, 2026

“500 Leading Global IP Lawyers”


Lawdragon, 2025

“Women in Business Award”


Charlotte Business Journal, 2025

Women, Influence & Power in Law’s “Managing Partner of the Year”


Corporate Counsel, 2024

North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society


2016-2018, 2020