Mosaic Theory of Litigation; Direct and Cross-Examinations; Pretrial Evidentiary Motions; Depositions; Bench Trials with John K. Villa, Partner, Williams & Connolly LLP
Wednesday, October 29th, 2025 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Steven S. Kaufman Family Anatomy of a Trial Lecture Series
Event Description
In this second installment of the Steven S. Kaufman Family Anatomy of a Trial Lecture Series, litigator John K. Villa—described by The American Lawyer as “the lawyers’ lawyer”, by Chambers as “the ultimate lawyers’ lawyer” and by the Financial Times as “the lawyer that law firms turn to in a spot of bother” offers his thoughts on the theory and tools to create a winning factual mosaic. He draws upon his experience having spent three years of his life on his feet in courtrooms and representing the best law firms in America. He was deeply involved in the Enron case, the Madoff litigation and many if not most of the major cases against lawyers for the past 35 plus years.
With few exceptions, Villa maintains, there is no single objective narrative that explains the many facts that will emerge in a complicated case—only competing story lines each attempting to be the most persuasive. Great trial lawyers don’t recite or argue facts; they first present a logical story or framework drawn from the facts that resonates with the factfinder. Once the fact-finder sees, internalizes and accepts the outline of the lawyer’s mosaic, then every fact that later emerges is placed like a tile into that mosaic. In essence, trial is a competition between lawyers to win first the heart and then the mind of the factfinder through the power of narrative.
In this presentation, Villa will share the concrete steps attorneys should consider at the outset of litigation to construct a persuasive trial narrative. He will demonstrate how to apply this mosaic approach across essential stages of trial practice: from the use of pretrial evidentiary motions, the thoughtful use of depositions, and the key to direct and cross-examination. There will be special emphasis on bench trials and arbitrations as an increasing portion of business disputes now are resolved without juries.
Finally, Villa’s experience in defending the great law firms of America gives him a unique insight into related issues which he will discuss – why even skilled trial lawyers get sued for malpractice and a handful of steps that a lawyer can take to reduce dramatically the risk of such malpractice claims.
A networking reception will follow the lecture.
Speaker Bio
John K. Villa is a partner at Williams & Connolly who served on the firm’s Executive Committee from 2002 through 2017. Villa is Co-Chair of the firm’s Financial Services and Banking Practice Group. He focuses on corporate, securities and financial services-related litigation (both civil and criminal) and legal malpractice defense.
In June 2024-2025, Chambers named Villa a “Star Individual,” the publication’s highest honor, in its first-ever USA rankings in the category Law Firm Defense citing client reports that “John is the ultimate lawyers’ lawyer.” The Financial Times writes, “John Villa, of Williams & Connolly in Washington, has a reputation for being the lawyer that law firms turn to when in a spot of bother.” The American Lawyer has called him “perhaps the premier [legal] malpractice defense lawyer in the nation.” The Washington Post reports “John Villa of...Williams & Connolly [is] the lawyer and firm that lawyers and law firms turn to when they’re in trouble,” and describes him as “a litigator who has gained national prominence with a somewhat rare specialty: defending top-flight law firms in trouble.” Villa was named to The National Law Journal's list of "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America" as "the first lawyer that other attorneys and law firms turn to when caught up in the S&L and banking scandals." In its 2014 list of "6 Firms to Have on Speed Dial if Malpractice Trouble Hits," Law360 puts Williams & Connolly and John Villa first. Villa was named Washington D.C.’s Banking and Finance “Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America in 2017, 2020 and 2023. He has represented a substantial number of the largest law firms in the United States, but does not disclose his clients.
Villa was listed as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in America by Benchmark Litigation. He has argued before every federal court of appeals and the highest courts of three states and appeared in the federal or state courts of more than twenty states.
The PLC Global Counsel’s Handbook calls him “an exceptional banking, financial and corporate governance litigator.” In 2012-22, Chambers identified him in Tier 1 nationally for Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Enforcement and Investigations), among the leading lawyers nationally in Securities Litigation (2012-17) and Tier 1 in the District of Columbia for General Commercial Litigation and Securities Litigation (2012-18). Chambers says “John Villa is the ‘first name to come to mind for financial services litigation matters’” and identified him as lawyer who "deserves special recognition" for his prowess in the financial services area and his "excellent reputation" in the DC litigation Bar.
Event Location
Thwing Excelsior Ballroom
11111 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106
