Williams and the other attorneys have no illusions, however, about how President Bush wants to curtail lawsuits like the one against Big Tobacco. While he was governor, Bush signed legislation that made it harder to prove fault and collect punitive damages, and capped damages at a fixed rate, regardless of an offending corporations's size or profits. Indeed, Bush ran for president on the promise that he would "fight to pass federal civil justice reform, just as he fought for and achieved civil justice reform in Texas."

Williams has been fighting such "tort reform" for several years. In 1995, trial lawyers opposed the Common Sense Liability Reform Act, a measure passed by a GOP Congress that would have limited how much money people injured by faulty products could win in state and federal courts. That November, Al Gore joined a group of Texas trial lawyers for dinner -- at Williams' house. Two weeks later, according to the Washington Times, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee called Walter Umphrey, one of Williams' colleagues in the tobacco case, to solicit a $100,000 contribution. A "call sheet" instructed the chairman to say: "Sorry you missed the Vice President. I know you will give $100k when the President vetoes tort reform, but we really need it now. Please send ASAP if possible." In May 1996, Clinton vetoed the bill.

One of the Senators who criticized the lawyers at the time was Joseph Lieberman, who described them as a "small group of people who are deeply invested in the status quo." Williams gave the maximum allowable contributions to the Gore/Lieberman campaign during the last election cycle.

Williams grew up in a family that taught him to be skeptical of big business. His grandfather, a longshoreman, was a union member; his father was a union leader. As a personal injury lawyer, Williams often opposes large corporations. He has represented more than 1,000 consumers who say they were injured by fen-phen diet pills, and has recently sided with patients who accuse HMOs of offering financial incentives that lead doctors to withhold vital medical care.

The fees he has won give Williams the kind of money and connections that provide high-level access. During his second term, President Clinton invited Williams to the White House for a state dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. Williams returned the favor, inviting Hillary Clinton and 50 generous donors to his home for a meal, raising $150,000 for her Senate campaign. He also hosted President Clinton at a poolside event last October to raise $300,000 for Rep. Max Sandlin (D-Texas). At the event, Clinton thanked Williams and his wife, Sheridan, in his remarks. "They have been so wonderful to me for eight years now, in good times and bad. And I'm very, very grateful."