Dane Hal Butswinkas

Dane Butswinkas died unexpectedly in Phoenix on October 26, 2026 from a pulmonary embolism as he was preparing for another trial in his illustrious career at Williams & Connolly LLP. Dane will be remembered not only for his courtroom courage and brilliance, but also for his quick wit, sage advice, and unwavering moral compass. Most importantly, he will be remembered for his devotion to his beloved family, his fierce loyalty to his many friends, and his boundless generosity to others.

Dane set the standard for what it means to be a trial lawyer. He committed himself to excellence in everything he did. No amount of preparation was too much. As he liked to say, “There is no substitute for preparation—not eloquence, not bravado, not even genius.” Meanwhile, Dane never overlooked the people who helped him succeed. He actively sought their opinions, recognized their contributions, and took the time to mentor countless young lawyers at the law firm. Young lawyers’ faces would light up whenever they learned they would be working on a case with Dane. They knew he would take time to learn about them and teach the skills they would need for success. Indeed, Dane understood and worked hard to protect the unique culture of Williams & Connolly. He wanted to ensure that others would have the same opportunities that allowed him to rise to the top of his profession and have fun along the way. He required that every trial team have a group viewing of his favorite movie, My Cousin Vinny, before every trial. He believed that nothing captured being a trial lawyer better.

Dane was born in Virginia Beach, VA on March 9, 1961, to Jan Vernie Butswinkas. His father, Joseph T. Butswinkas, was a naval officer who adopted Dane at a young age. During the Vietnam War, Dane remembers watching TV coverage with his mom, wondering when Joe would be able to come back home from his tour of duty. Fortunately, he returned safely and reunited with Dane and Jan at the Navy base in Virginia Beach.

Dane grew up as an only child but he was never alone. He excelled in all sports at Bayside High School, combining graceful athleticism with a relentless competitive spirit. He discovered the joy of playing on a team and the importance of being a good teammate. He ultimately chose baseball and played at the Division I level for James Madison University. At JMU, Dane also joined the debate team, where his exceptional talent quickly earned him the nickname of the “District Darling.”

Through debate, Dane discovered that he had the ability to explain complex concepts in a way that people could understand. He was further inspired by TV shows featuring lawyers, especially Perry Mason and Petrocelli. He cited those shows in a recent interview and said, “I would see these ordinary people who had become lawyers going into court and doing really important things—usually exonerating someone falsely accused. That was mesmerizing to me. It still is.” After obtaining a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from George Mason University, he enrolled in law school at the University of Virginia in 1986. He “lit up the scoreboard” at UVA, starring on the softball field, excelling in the classroom, working on the Law Review, and winning the prestigious William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition in 1989. He was destined for stardom.

Dane joined the Washington, DC law firm, Williams & Connolly, in 1989. He was drawn to the firm’s culture of excellence. He loved that the firm had the courage to take on the most difficult cases, including the representation of John Hinckley. He also felt lucky to have senior partners who trusted him to handle significant matters.

Their faith in Dane paid off. Based on client testimonials, The Legal 500 singled out Dane as a “once-in-a-generation trial lawyer.” Chambers USA described him as “’[a]n extraordinary trial lawyer’ who is known for his ‘fantastic courtroom presence.’” One of Dane’s partners observes, "Dane was the greatest trial lawyer of his generation. He was smart, hard-working, and courageous. Quick on his feet and funny. But what he truly did better than anybody else was connect with jurors. And colleagues. And friends. He always spoke from the heart without a script. He was one of a kind, and we will miss him dearly." A current client comments, “Trying cases with Dane when I was a young lawyer felt what it must have been like to apprentice for one of the great master artists of the Renaissance. I experienced a mix of awe, appreciation, but also exasperation that his technique could only be admired but not fully replicated.” Another senior partner notes, “Dane treated everyone with kindness and respect—the young lawyers on the team, the paralegals, the secretaries, opposing counsel, and the cab driver who dropped us off at the courthouse. He won the trust and confidence of everyone—most importantly, the judge and the jury.”

In 2012, Dane’s trial skills were formally recognized when he was admitted as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, the premier legal association in America composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada.

Dane’s trial victories encompass every kind of case imaginable. Any one of those individual cases would be enough to qualify as a career-defining case. Dane had dozens.

Many will remember Dane for his brave representation of Perkins Coie in the face of an unprecedented Executive Order seeking to put the firm out of business. Dane led the team that fought back, won an injunction, and stopped the President in his tracks. The court praised Dane and his team for being “very brave” to take the case. The court concluded, “those who stood up in court ... will be the models lauded when this period of American history is written.” That was the thing about Dane. You wanted him on your side because you knew he would stand up and fight. He was never looking for the exit, no matter how difficult the challenge. Dane often said, “My father never tolerated braggarts or bullies. Juries don’t like them either.”

Dane was equally comfortable handling criminal cases. In 2009, he won an acquittal for a former Bear Stearns hedge fund manager who had been charged with lying to investors about their funds. The case drew national attention because prosecutors viewed it as a “blueprint” for future prosecutions under an aggressive legal theory. Dane convinced the jury that “details matter.” He carefully walked the jury through the key e-mails, providing context and highlighting how the prosecutors strategically omitted the most important details in their zeal to convict.

Similarly, Dane secured the acquittal of a former Jeffries LLC bond trader who was charged with misleading institutional investors about mortgage-backed securities prices. This time, however, it took two jury trials and two trips to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals before his client was cleared of any wrongdoing. As Dane liked to say, “sometimes you need to win cases a little bit at a time.”

Dane also had a knack for winning “first-of-its kind” cases. In 2014, he won a jury trial for AstraZeneca where the plaintiffs, a group of retailers, sought up to $60 billion in damages under federal antitrust laws. It was the first trial brought after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that so-called “pay-for-delay settlements” might run afoul of antitrust laws. Dane convinced the jury that AstraZeneca did nothing wrong.

The very next year, Dane won a defense verdict for HBO in the first major media case to go to trial in more than two decades. The plaintiff, Mitre Sports, had sued HBO for defamation based on a Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel report on child labor in India, which featured young children hand-stitching Mitre soccer balls. Mitre claimed that the report falsely charged it with using child labor, or turning a blind eye to the use of child labor, in the manufacture of their soccer balls. After very short deliberations, the jury found for HBO. After the trial was over, a woman on the jury asked Dane “whether he was seeing anyone,” and one of the jurors called out to the producer of the report, “Keep up the good work!”

Dane’s childhood offers a clue into how he was able to convince ordinary people that his client should prevail. He never lost sight of who he was and where he started, no matter how many accolades came his way. When he was in high school, Dane worked as the Jolly Tiger mascot for a restaurant chain. He would put on his tiger costume, go out to the sidewalk, and wave at potential customers as they drove by. His father used to drive around the block, honking his horn and waiving at Dane to “boost his morale.” Dane also worked at the local roller-skating rink. His was the voice on the microphone that would announce, “Couples skating only” and “Please, slow your roll.” While spending time at the skating rink, Dane became a speed-skating phenom. His first trip outside of Virginia occurred in high school when he and his relay team traveled to the Midwest and won a National competition.

But while Dane left an immeasurable impact on everyone he met, no one was luckier to be in his orbit than his family. Dane loved his family loudly, fiercely, and unabashedly. No morning could pass without him texting “I love you,” and no amount of heart emojis were too many to send. His family, in turn, looked to him as its beating heart, the ultimate role model, the life of the party, and the advice-giver-in-chief.

Dane took on his most important role when his two sons were born: Joey in 2002 and John Bailey in 2003. He devoted his life to them, supporting them at every step, and his love for them was visible whenever they were the topic of conversation. Dane adored his sons and was deeply proud of the young men they have become—young men who emulate the very best of his qualities. He was an equally adoring husband to his wife, Janine Pierson. Dane was her biggest cheerleader, and he will remain the love of her life. Dane also enthusiastically embraced a large blended family. He placed great value in maintaining a positive relationship with everyone, remaining best friends and devoted co-parents with his ex-wife, Megan Rupp, and her partner, Ben Meisel.

Dane is survived by his wife, Janine Pierson; his two children, Joseph Butswinkas and John Bailey Butswinkas; and his former wife and mother of their children, Megan Rupp.

The family will host a celebration of Dane’s remarkable life on Friday, December 11, 2026, at 11 a.m., at the Washington National Cathedral. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dane’s memory to the Democracy Defenders Fund, in honor of Dane’s unwavering commitment to the rule of law, or to Project One Vet at a Time, reflecting his deep appreciation for those who serve our country and the pride he took in his father’s service.