Andrew J. Pincus

Andrew Pincus focuses his appellate practice on briefing and arguing cases in the Supreme Court of the United States and in federal and state appellate courts; developing legal strategy for trial courts; and presenting policy and legal arguments to Congress, state legislatures, and regulatory agencies.

Andy has argued 30 cases in the Supreme Court. Law360 ranked Andy's victory in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, 131 S. Ct. 1740 (2011), as the most important Supreme Court class action decision of the last 15 years. Andy is a 2022 BTI Client Service All-Star, with clients saying that he is "a brilliant, master strategist and a great litigator." Legal 500 (2022) places Andy in its Hall of Fame, which "highlights individuals who have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence." Benchmark Litigation (2022) names Andy as a National Litigation Star.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. appointed Andy to a three-year term as one of four practitioner members of the Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Judicial Conference of the United States , effective October 1, 2022. The Committee drafts and recommends to the Judicial Conference new rules of practice, procedure, and evidence governing appellate, bankruptcy, civil, and criminal cases in the federal courts.

Chambers USA ranks Andy in Band 1 for nationwide appellate lawyers, reporting (2021) that he is “‘an amazing advocate with full command of the courtroom and panels, but at the same time he is approachable and easy to work with.’ ‘He is one of the smartest people I have ever met. From a client perspective you get 100% of him.’” It also states (2022) that Andy is “‘[a]n excellent advocate who is particularly good at pulling together coalitions and entire appellate presentations before the Court. He’s not just thinking about the principal brief, but also the overall presentation and making it well rounded.’ ‘He’s very focused on his client’s objectives and very thoughtful about how to pursue litigation in a way that’s consistent with them.’”

A former Assistant to the Solicitor General in the United States Department of Justice (1984-1988), Andy co-founded and serves as co-director of the Yale Law School's Supreme Court Advocacy Clinic (2006-present), which provides pro bono representation in 10-15 Supreme Court cases each year. Andy's Supreme Court oral arguments are available here. A selection of his more than 250 appellate briefs is available here.

Andy is “‘one of the finest appellate partners in the United States’” and "‘a master of oral argument, a superb strategist and a super writer’” (Chambers USA 2019); a “‘leading light of the appellate Bar, making frequent appearances in high-stakes and high-profile Supreme Court arguments’” and “‘without a doubt one of the most stellar advocates in the country—at the Supreme Court, in the lower courts, in the non-court advocacy space and in counseling behind closed doors’" (Chambers USA 2017).

In 2022, Andy was named to Washingtonian’s “Lawyer Lifetime Achievement” list , placing him in an “elite group” of the “best of the best” individuals who have been named to Washingtonian’s list of “Top Lawyers” in the Washington DC area at least 10 times within the past 15 years. Andy was also recognized as a 2019 and 2016 "Appellate MVP" by Law360; and profiled in 2015 as a Litigation Trailblazer by The National Law Journal. Andy's appellate experience has also won him recognition in The Best Lawyers in America (2006-2022).

Andy's practice also includes detailed written and oral advocacy before Congress, other legislative bodies, and regulatory agencies regarding a variety of policy and legal issues. He frequently testifies before Congress on a variety of subjects, including patent reform, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, reform of the federal litigation system, and the Supreme Court's decisions in cases involving business law issues. Andy successfully represented clients in connection with passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act.

Reporters often turn to Andy for commentary on Supreme Court cases. He also frequently speaks and writes on legal issues for academic, professional, and general audiences.

While serving as General Counsel of the United States Department of Commerce (1997-2000), Andy had principal responsibility for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. He also participated in formulation of policy concerning intellectual property protection, privacy, domain name management, taxation of electronic commerce, export controls, international trade, and consumer protection.

Before rejoining Mayer Brown, Andy served as General Counsel of Andersen Worldwide S.C. Following law school graduation, Andy was Law Clerk to the Honorable Harold H. Greene, United States District Court for the District of Columbia (1981-1982), after which he practiced with another major law firm in Washington.

Andy is a contributor to Class Defense, the firm's blog on key issues affecting class action law and policy.