Written by Sarah Mirkin
(Reuters) – Damian Williams, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan, will return to law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison as a partner in New York, law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison said on Friday.
Williams was appointed US Attorney for the Southern District of New York in 2021 by outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden. He announced in November that he would step down before Republican President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Trump announced plans to nominate former SEC Chairman Jay Clayton to the position. The position requires Senate approval.
Paul Weiss, a leading New York firm, has strong ties to the Democratic Party. Last summer, its president, Brad Karp, launched a fundraising effort in the legal community for US Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign.
The company is also the home of former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Jeh Johnson, the former Secretary of Homeland Security. Both were officials in the Obama administration.
As a U.S. attorney, Williams has obtained convictions for high-profile defendants, including U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, cryptocurrency tycoon Sam Bankman Fried, and Archegos Capital Management founder Sung Kook “Bill” Hwang.
In September, New York City Mayor Eric Adams was charged with bribery. Adams has pleaded not guilty.
Prior to his appointment, Williams led the Securities and Commodities business team in the Southern Region. He previously clerked for former liberal U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, as well as for current U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland when Garland was a judge.
Williams, a former colleague of Paul Weiss, said in a statement that he was happy to return to the company where he began his career.
Paul Weiss said he will represent clients in federal and state government investigations, administrative matters and internal investigations.
