Richard Bress is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office. He is currently a member of Latham & Watkins' Executive Committee and previously was the Global Chair of Latham's Associates Committee. His practice is focused on appellate and Supreme Court litigation. He has argued dozens of appellate cases, including eight in the Supreme Court and is a frequent commentator on appellate advocacy issues.
Mr. Bress is recognized as one of the top US appellate and Supreme Court advocates by The Legal 500 US, which has described him as "'a great litigator' who 'provides great representation'" and whose "resume displays an impressive range of experience at the top level." He has also been recognized by Washingtonian magazine as one of Washington, D.C.'s "Big Guns," a list of the area's top lawyers, based primarily on peer recommendation.
Before joining Latham, Mr. Bress served as an Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States. During his tenure, he argued several cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, drafted more than 100 briefs (including petitions for and briefs in opposition to certiorari), and assisted the Solicitor General in developing the government's position on a broad range of constitutional and commercial issues in the Supreme Court and the federal courts of appeals.
Prior to his work in the Solicitor General's Office, Mr. Bress spent several years in private practice, engaged primarily in general and appellate litigation. Before entering private practice, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Antonin Scalia and D.C. Circuit Judge Stephen F. Williams.
Mr. Bress is admitted to the bars of the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Federal and D.C. Circuits.