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Benjamin Watson

Senior Counsel
Senior Counsel
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Areas of Focus

Overview

Ben is a commercial litigator with broad experience in complex litigation and international commercial arbitration representing clients across the health care, renewable energy, aerospace, private equity, technology, fashion, consumer goods, and manufacturing sectors.

Clients appreciate Ben’s clear thinking, the quality of his written work, and his ability to discern what will matter most in their business context. By providing frank guidance on litigation risks, Ben has become a trusted counselor to company leadership and in-house attorneys. He works closely with clients to develop litigation strategies that maintain leverage and align with business objectives, whether through extended litigation or a fast action plan for injunctive relief.  

Ben's approach is characterized by meticulous analysis and resourcefulness. In collaboration with his colleagues, experts, and analysts, Ben dives deep into the details, leading investigations to develop factual support or identify patterns in data to drive the narrative behind a client’s position. 

Earlier in his career, Ben completed judicial clerkships with the Honorable Steve Kim at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and with the Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby at the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the District’s highest appellate court. Prior to law school, Ben worked in advertising on national campaigns for General Motors and Mazda and served as an officer in the U.S. Army National Guard.

Career & Education

    • American University Washington College of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2014
      American University Law Review, Editor
      Moot Court Honor Society, Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vienna)
    • Westmont College, B.A., 2007
      U.S. Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
    • American University Washington College of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2014
      American University Law Review, Editor
      Moot Court Honor Society, Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vienna)
    • Westmont College, B.A., 2007
      U.S. Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps

    • New York
    • California
    • New York
    • California

    • Honorable Steve Kim, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
    • Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, District of Columbia Court of Appeals
    • Honorable Steve Kim, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
    • Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, District of Columbia Court of Appeals

  • Professional Activities and Memberships

    • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Young Lawyers Division Advisory Committee

    Professional Activities and Memberships

    • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Young Lawyers Division Advisory Committee

Representative Matters

Health Care Disputes

  • Defended health care payors in contract disputes with in-network providers concerning medical claim adjudications.
  • Defended a health care payor in a contract dispute with a self-funded plan sponsor concerning claim payment timelines and responsibility.
  • Defended health care payors in disputes with out-of-network providers concerning the "usual, customary, and reasonable" value of medical services.

Contract Disputes

  • Defended a leading developer of utility-scale solar energy projects in a contract dispute concerning performance benchmarks.
  • Defended a major jet engine manufacturer in a contract dispute with an airline over delivery timelines and service requirements.

Advertising and Marketing Disputes

  • Defended a consumer packaged goods company in a dispute concerning its efforts to measure the effectiveness of its digital advertising campaigns.
  • Defended a distributor and marketer of ultra-premium spirits in a contract dispute concerning services provided to its former client.
  • Defended a manufacturer of high-speed computer memory modules in a putative class action over the advertised performance of its memory chips.

Affirmative Disputes

  • Secured a settlement in favor of a private equity firm in a dispute with a stakeholder concerning the sale value of an energy infrastructure asset.
  • Secured a monetary judgment for an international fashion label against a licensee that diluted the brand by granting an unauthorized sublicense to a textile manufacturer.
  • Secured a monetary judgment for a health care payor in a case against providers engaging in fraudulent medical billing and claim coding activities.

Professional Liability Dispute

  • Defended a major entertainment law firm in a professional liability dispute concerning actions taken and advice given over the course of an over 20-year client relationship.