Masters of the Game: Inside the World's Most Powerful Law Firm

by Kim Eisler

Veteran legal issues reporter Kim Eisler takes us behind the scenes into mega law firm Williams & Connolly, guiding us on a journey through the many storied cases that have served to shape current policies in public and private sector alike For the past twenty years, author and journalist Kim Eisler has covered the law firm of Williams & Connolly, first at American Lawyer Magazine, then for Legal Times and since 1993 as National Editor of Washingtonian Magazine. More than any other writer, Kim has unprecedented and unusual contacts and relationships with the partners, as well as a background knowledge and familiarity with the firm's history and personnel over the past two decades. In Masters of the Game, Eisler sets out to demonstrate how the disciples of Edward Bennett Williams went beyond anyone's expectations and came to occupy key roles in American culture and business. In the last ten years of his life, Williams, the founder of Williams and Connolly, often said he was building not just a law firm but a monument. Masters of the Game is not only about a law firm, but about how the philosophy and practices of this particular law firm have spread out beyond Washington to dominate business, finance, sports and the American psyche itself through its influence with past, present and future political, corporate and media figures.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction

349 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2010

Reviews

[Andreas Novio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ambitious title. Does it deliver?

Powerful law firm that has won more than its fair share of high-profile trials in Washington. Its lawyers control what goes into the mainstream media (for certain media groups). They advise polticians and broker private sector jobs for them. They control some baseball teams (not sure how much this translates to power).

Having said all that, they are seemingly not as powerful as Goldman Sachs (can't help making comparison). The law firm jungle is much more fragmented than banking and hence no one firm can claim world domination (think blood-sucking octopus). Partners move easily from firm to firm, bringing the whole franchise; there is less space for institutional power (again, unlike banking).

The book shares many individual lawyers' exploits, but not enough on the inside culture and development. As the author mentions often, people at the firm do not talk to the press. So I give him benefit of assumption.

I picked this book at the local library, cos there are not that many books (non-fiction) about law firms. I learnt about legal process plus how crooked politicians are and how much money can bend the search for truth. I gave it 3 stars but on an otherwise more optimistic day I could have given it 4.

[Writemoves · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to work my way into the book. Enough interesting stories and anecdotes to keep this reader turning the pages. I found the Ollie North and Clinton-Lewinsky scandals compelling reading. Interesting that a legal firm provided public relations, career planning and political consulting services in addition to keeping their clients out of legal jeopardy.

If one is interested how power and influence works in Washington D.C., you will like this book. Mainly covers events in the 1980s and 1990s.

[Spenser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating historical account of a successful law firm that influenced history in a unique and interesting way.

[Mark Jakubik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book warrants 3 stars only because the subject matter is, for those interested in such things as the ways of Washington and law firms, so fascinating. The firm that Ed Williams built, and where the likes of zbrendan Sullivan have reigned since Williams' death, has been involved in some of the most contentious big ticket white collar criminal cases of the last 3 decades. The characters, and the cases, are interesting in and of themselves. Sadly, Kim Eisler has not done the subject matter justice. The prose is clumsy, and the tone just a bit too whimsical and breezy for the subject matter. And the fact checking is atrocious. To cite two examples: Eisler identifies Ronald Reagan as the president who pardoned Caspar Weinberger on Christmas Eve 1992 (it was George H.W. Bush); and identifies Patrick Leahy as the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee (Leahy serves in the Senate). Such silly mistakes, of which there are numerous instances, are inexcusable for a seasoned journalist who, by his own self-promotion, claims to have covered the Washington legal scene for decades. My recoomendation is lukewarm, and based solely on the subject matter.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is comprised of a bunch of anecdotes featuring the key lawyers of the D.C. firm Williams & Connolly. The stories are about how each of these individuals became lawyers and eventually achieved their successes. Many of the anecdotes involve big name Washington folks and scandals, which is one of the main reasons the book is so interesting. I didn't find it to be politically biased, but I'm sure there are some people who would. Mainly, it further solidified my belief that D.C. politics are like a never ending reality TV show -- with the same petty fights and enormous egos competing for the spotlight.

[Jamie Weiss · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hard to review this book. It was very interesting to read about a lot of the inside baseball stuff from the last 30 years - politics and litigation and special investigators. But Eisler's writing is horrifying. It also wasn't exactly as advertised - the book is rarely about Williams & Connolly and often about the individual lawyers who just happen to be partners there and have a practice that involves defending high profile criminal cases (like Ted Stevens) or counseling high profile clients (like the Clintons).

[Doug · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mildly interesting subject torpedoed by bad writing, I was expecting something more salacious from the title, but was disappointed. The only part where it seemed that they may have some sort of extra influence over and above any other well-run law firm is where they represent so many media members and politicians as literary agents while taking part in very high profile litigation, but even there, it doesn't seem so bad. Of course, if this law firm is as powerful as the books implies, that's what they'd want you to think.

[Sheetal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting read of law and politics, very disjointed reading.

[Jim Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read! Definitely a place I would like to work!

[Mukund Sharma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Snoozed through most of it.

[Elizabeth Owen]

Currently reading.

[Dave Kaylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting, but not really the inside glimpse I was hoping for