Josh Hill On Cultivating a Dynamic Litigation Practice at Paul, Weiss

Whistleblowers, white collar defense, and the Golden State Warriors – all in a day’s work if you’re Josh Hill. The successful and versatile trial lawyer likes to stay on his toes, and Hill’s varied and robust portfolio of engagements and results can attest to that.

The former federal prosecutor found a home at Paul, Weiss, where he brings his vast experience and dynamism to the litigation department. Though his focus is dialed into white collar defense and complex commercial litigation, Hill’s talent lends itself to a wide breadth and depth of different niches.

In a practice that spans the better part of two decades, Hill has litigated a number of pharmaceutical and medical device matters. He’s tackled matters in the sports, media, consumer technology, securities and energy industries. He’s no stranger to high-pressure and widely public cases.

Hill’s achievements are plentiful and often make waves in the form of major headlines. He defended a medical device maker in a DOJ False Claims Act investigation that resulted in government non-intervention and the dismissal of the whistleblower complaint. He represented the former executive director of the NBA in the favorable settlement of a breach of contract litigation against the players’ union. Recently, Hill’s advocacy saw the return of the 2005 Heisman Trophy for most outstanding college football player in the nation to former USC running back Reggie Bush.

“I enjoy the dynamic nature of the profession. There’s always more to learn – new industries, new legal areas, new twists or fact patterns that implicate different facets of the law,” says Hill. “I find the work as interesting and engaging now as I did when I started my career over 20 years ago.”

Hill is named among the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America.

Lawdragon: How did you come to practice in white collar and investigations?

Josh Hill: I was exposed to white collar matters – both investigations and trials – at various early stops in my career. During my district court clerkship, I had the opportunity to observe federal prosecutors and defense lawyers in the courtroom. While I was a junior associate at Paul, Weiss, I was assigned to several fascinating white-collar matters and got to develop my skills from the defense side. I then worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in California for four years, where my caseload involved many interesting and complex investigations and trials. By the time I returned to private practice, I was a full-fledged white collar and investigations lawyer.

One early, high-profile engagement made a particular impression. We were defending prominent investment banker Frank Quattrone on appeal from his conviction for obstruction of justice and witness tampering related to a federal investigation. We convinced the 2nd Circuit to reverse the conviction and then, following further negotiations with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, convinced the government to dismiss all charges. It was extremely gratifying to get justice for our client, and the case was a tremendous learning experience for me, as I got to observe up close and learn from Ted Wells and Mark Pomerantz – two giants in this space – who led the Paul, Weiss team.

LD: You have a diverse litigation practice and a wide array of clientele across industries. What kinds of matters are keeping you busy these days?

JH: My caseload is truly varied. I regularly represent clients in consumer protection and other state regulatory investigations, civil and criminal DOJ investigations, False Claims Act litigation, health care fraud matters, internal investigations stemming from whistleblower allegations of workplace misconduct, antitrust disputes, crisis response situations, and a broad range of high-stakes commercial litigation, such as breach of contract disputes or business litigation at the Delaware Court of Chancery. Regardless of matter type, these engagements tend to be very sensitive and fast-moving, involving critical issues for the company.

A sample of recent and ongoing representations includes a California-based company in connection with a bribery case involving a city official; a major energy company in an internal investigation into allegations involving political spending; a major technology company in a government civil lawsuit related to a prior FTC settlement; a life sciences company in an antitrust competitor action heading to trial; and a packaging company in affirmative contract litigation in the Court of Chancery.

I have litigated cases throughout the country, including California, New York, Florida, Delaware, Illinois, North Carolina and Nebraska. It helps that I am licensed to practice in California, New York and Texas (coincidentally, my three favorite states).

The better you understand prosecutors’ or enforcement officials’ objectives, tactics or expectations, the more effective you will be as defense counsel.

LD: You have worked on so many significant matters in your career. Is there one case or matter that stands out as a favorite or particularly memorable for some reason?

JH: A memorable recent engagement was representing the Heisman Trophy Trust in its decision to return the 2005 Heisman Trophy for most outstanding college football player in the nation to former USC running back Reggie Bush. The trophy was forfeited by Bush in 2010 after the NCAA issued sanctions to the university related to Bush receiving improper benefits during his college career. Bush was a huge football star, and the case generated intense public interest at the time.

The college football landscape changed considerably over the following years. Among other things, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in 2021 holding that NCAA limitations on education-related student-athlete benefits violate antitrust law; and rules changed subsequently to allow college athletes to be paid for their name, image and likeness. The Trust closely monitored these developments and, with the compensation of student athletes now an accepted practice, determined that the time was right to return the trophy to Bush. All sides were happy with the result; it was a rare win-win case.

Another recent matter that comes to mind is the representation of a private equity firm in a DOJ False Claims Act investigation related to certain portfolio company acquisitions. We were able to convince the DOJ to decline to pursue the case and subsequently secured the voluntary dismissal of a sealed qui tam complaint filed by a purported whistleblower.

LD: As a former federal prosecutor, how has your experience in that line of work shaped your approach to white collar matters and investigations in private practice?

JH: A crucial skill when representing clients in a government investigation is being able to see the matter from the government’s perspective. The better you understand prosecutors’ or enforcement officials’ objectives, tactics or expectations, the more effective you will be as defense counsel. My tenure as a prosecutor has certainly provided me with very valuable experience on this score. While it’s not absolutely necessary, the best way to know how a government investigation or prosecution develops is to have actually been in the government’s shoes.

LD: Why did you first decide to become a lawyer? What do you enjoy most about it?

JH: My older sister was my first inspiration. She was a trusts and estates lawyer in Houston at the time and is now the Dean of the Northern Illinois University School of Law. She provided me with a great example of a lawyer, and one that was different from the stereotypically bombastic litigator we often see on television. She gave me a broader view of the profession.

Once I started exploring the legal field, I found much to like. I really enjoy the problem-solving nature of the work – thinking through puzzles and coming up with the best course of action for my clients. And I enjoy the dynamic nature of the profession. There’s always more to learn – new industries, new legal areas, new twists or fact patterns that implicate different facets of the law. I find the work as interesting and engaging now as I did when I started my career over 20 years ago.

LD: What do you appreciate about Paul, Weiss as a platform for your work?

JH: Paul, Weiss’s capabilities are truly formidable, and the talent pool is second to none. No matter the client’s industry or legal issue at hand, we have the requisite expertise and can quickly stand up a team that includes some of the best lawyers in the world, capable of tackling the highest-stakes matters, no matter how novel or complex. In the white-collar space, the Paul, Weiss team includes an extraordinary number of former federal prosecutors and lawyers who have served in other senior government positions. All this talent and experience provides a tremendous advantage for our clients and makes practicing here very exciting and rewarding.

LD: What do you do for fun outside of the office?

JH: I chiefly like to spend quality time with my wife Melissa, who is a brilliant scholar, and two children. Between work and family there isn’t much free time left, but I do enjoy binge-watching a good streaming series and playing a round of golf whenever I can swing it.