Williams, Jonathan Lentine

Jonathan L. Williams

Counsel

jonathan.williams@lw.com
    Williams, Jonathan Lentine

    Jonathan L. Williams

    Counsel

    jonathan.williams@lw.com

    Profile

    Jonathan Williams, a former Florida Deputy Solicitor General, represents clients in complex disputes involving unsettled legal issues at trial and on appeal.

    Jonathan draws on extensive advocacy experience, including before the US Supreme Court, to represent clients in matters involving:

    • Administrative law matters, including constitutional litigation
    • Class actions 
    • Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies in product liability litigation
    • Novel constitutional and regulatory issues related to technology
    • Environmental litigation

    As Deputy Solicitor General for Florida, Jonathan successfully argued against a $1 billion dormant commerce clause challenge to a state tax before the Florida Supreme Court and defended against the certiorari petition before the US Supreme Court (Fla. Dep’t of Revenue v. DIRECTV, Inc., 215 So. 2d 46 (Fla. 2017), cert. denied sub nom. Echostar Satellite, L.L.C. v. Fla. Dep’t of Revenue, 138 S. Ct. 645).

    Jonathan brings extensive experience working with government officials on high-profile issues from his government service. Prior to joining Latham, he was senior counsel for a nonpartisan organization that assisted state officials with elections administration. As Deputy Solicitor General, Jonathan represented Florida and its agencies on a wide variety of issues, including claims against the federal government under the Administrative Procedure Act and tax and consumer protection matters. The National Association of Attorneys General recognized a US Supreme Court brief he authored in 2016 as a Best Brief of the Year. Jonathan has also acted on behalf of private sector clients across a variety of industries. 

    Jonathan began his career as a law clerk to Judge E. Grady Jolly of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas. He is a member of the American Law Institute. 

    Experience

    Jonathan’s representative experience includes: 

    • Zenwork v. SSA, No. 25-0036 (N.D. Tex. 2025): Successfully resolving a case in which the government agreed to reinstate access to a tax document filing system following a challenge to the agency’s statutory authority
    • Envtl. Comm. of Fla. Elec. Power Coordinating Grp., Inc. v. EPA, 94 F.4th 77 (D.C. Cir. 2024): Led the briefing for a 26-state coalition in a successful challenge to the EPA requirement to rewrite longstanding Clean Air Act Rules*
    • City of Miami Beach v. Fla. Retail Fed., 233 So. 3d 1236 (Fla. 3d DCA 2017): Invalidating local minimum wage requirements as preempted by state law*
    • Fla. Retail Fed. v. City of Coral Gables, 282 So. 3d 889 (Fla. 3d DCA 2019): Invalidating a municipal ban on polystyrene food service containers as preempted by state law*
    • Gretna Racing, LLC v. Fla. Dep’t of Bus. & Prof. Regulation, 255 So. 3d 759 (2017): Defeating a state constitutional challenge to a gaming regulator’s decision barring gambling outside two Florida counties consistent with the federal gaming compact with Seminole Tribe*
    • Attwood v. Clemons, 526 F. Supp. 3d 1152 (N.D. Fla. 2021): Obtaining a partial summary judgment for a state representative accused of violating the First Amendment by blocking a constituent on social media, leading to the plaintiff’s voluntary dismissal*
    • Papasan v. Dometic Corp., 2022 WL 1222817 (S.D. Fla. Apr. 26, 2022): Defeating a putative consumer class action against a manufacturer of refrigerators*
    • MacNeil v. Crestview Hosp. Corp., 292 So. 3d 840 (Fla. 1st DCA 2020): Defeating a putative class action against a hospital on a novel issue where the declaratory judgment could provide the basis for class relief where the underlying law did not provide for private enforcement*
    • In re Vioxx Prods. Liab. Litig., MDL No. 1657 (E.D. La.): Defending a prescription drug manufacturer against product liability claims*

    *Matter handled prior to joining Latham 

    Qualifications

    Bar Qualification

    • District of Columbia
    • Florida

    Education

    • JD, Duke University School of Law, 2009
      cum laude, Articles Editor, Duke Law Journal
    • AB in Religion, Princeton University, 2005

    Practices

    Industries

    News & Insights