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Joseph R. Slights III
Partner
Litigation
Wilmington, DE

D302-502-8400

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  • Experienced Litigator and Corporate Law Advisor

    Joe has over three decades of legal experience, both on the bench of two nationally renowned commercial trial courts and in private practice. He has tried more than 25 jury trials to verdict and has appeared in all of Delaware’s state and federal courts.

  • Former Vice Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery

    Joe presided over a number of high-profile disputes during his service as Vice Chancellor and is a well-known and well-respected figure in the Delaware legal community and nationally among corporate governance scholars and practitioners.

  • Former Judge of the Delaware Superior Court

    Joe presided over several complex multi-jurisdictional class actions and was instrumental in creating the Court’s Complex Commercial Litigation Division.

Joseph R. Slights III, a former Vice Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, is a partner in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's litigation department, where his practice focuses on corporate governance counseling and litigation. He was sworn in as Vice Chancellor of the Court of Chancery in 2016 after he was nominated by then-Governor Jack Markell and unanimously confirmed by the state senate.

Prior to his appointment, Joe was a partner at the Delaware law firm Morris James, LLP where he practiced corporate and business litigation and chaired the firm's Alternative Dispute Resolution practice. Before that, he served a 12-year term as a judge on the Superior Court of Delaware, where he was instrumental in forming the court's Complex Commercial Litigation Division, a division of the court that specializes in adjudicating business disputes in jury and non-jury trials. Previously, Joe was a trial lawyer in the Delaware-based firm Sidney Balick PC (now Balick & Balick) and a corporate litigator in the Delaware-based firm Richards, Layton & Finger PC.

Joe has been an adjunct professor at Widener University School of Law, and currently is on the adjunct faculty of Vanderbilt University School of Law and Washington & Lee University School of Law. He has served as a delegate to the National Conference of State Trial Court Judges, and a liaison between the Judicial Division and Business Law Section of the American Bar Association. He regularly serves as a mediator and arbitrator in high-stakes disputes.

Experience

Joseph R. Slights III, a former Vice Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, is a partner in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's litigation department, where his practice focuses on corporate governance counseling and litigation. He was sworn in as Vice Chancellor of the Court of Chancery in 2016 after he was nominated by then-Governor Jack Markell and unanimously confirmed by the state senate.

Prior to his appointment, Joe was a partner at the Delaware law firm Morris James, LLP where he practiced corporate and business litigation and chaired the firm's Alternative Dispute Resolution practice. Before that, he served a 12-year term as a judge on the Superior Court of Delaware, where he was instrumental in forming the court's Complex Commercial Litigation Division, a division of the court that specializes in adjudicating business disputes in jury and non-jury trials. Previously, Joe was a trial lawyer in the Delaware-based firm Sidney Balick PC (now Balick & Balick) and a corporate litigator in the Delaware-based firm Richards, Layton & Finger PC.

Joe has been an adjunct professor at Widener University School of Law, and currently is on the adjunct faculty of Vanderbilt University School of Law and Washington & Lee University School of Law. He has served as a delegate to the National Conference of State Trial Court Judges, and a liaison between the Judicial Division and Business Law Section of the American Bar Association. He regularly serves as a mediator and arbitrator in high-stakes disputes.

Focus Areas
Recent Insights
News Articles
2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America Recognizes Wilson Sonsini Attorneys
On September 5, 2025, Lawdragon named 32 Wilson Sonsini attorneys to its 2026 edition of Leading Litigators in America. The lawyers featured in the guide represent the best litigators in the U.S. in antitrust, intellectual property, white collar and investigations, securities and corporate governance litigation, and a vast array of class actions, product liability, and other complex civil litigation.
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Client Highlights
Wilson Sonsini Represents Autodesk in Cooperation Agreement with Starboard
On April 24, 2025, Autodesk, Inc. announced that it has entered into a cooperation agreement with Starboard Value LP that includes the appointment of two independent directors, Jeff Epstein and Christie Simons, to Autodesk’s board of directors. Autodesk and Starboard have entered into an Information Sharing and Discussion Agreement to facilitate ongoing collaboration toward the goal of driving sustainable value creation for all shareholders. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has represented Autodesk for decades and advised the company on the cooperation agreement.

In addition to the board appointments, as part of the cooperation agreement, Starboard will withdraw its director nominees and has agreed to customary standstill, voting, and other provisions. The full agreement will be filed as an exhibit to a Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Wilson Sonsini team advising Autodesk was led by corporate partner Richard Blake and shareholder engagement and activism partner Sebastian Alsheimer. Though this was an activism situation, a cross-disciplinary Wilson Sonsini team that included litigation partner Caz Hashemi and Delaware governance litigation partner Brad Sorrels was highly involved in advising Autodesk on the matter.
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Recent Events
WSGR Events
2025 Madrona GC Summit Celebration and Roundtable with Wilson Sonsini
Wilson Sonsini invites you to an exclusive dinner during the 2025 Madrona GC Summit, where we will discuss recent events and legislative developments in Delaware. This will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow general counsel, exchange insights, and engage in meaningful discussions over a fine meal.
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WSGR Events
The Future of Delaware Law
For decades, Delaware has been the top choice for incorporation in the United States, providing a stable legal framework and business-savvy courts. In recent months, a debate has arisen over the ongoing vitality of Delaware law, while other states have stepped up their efforts to compete with Delaware. In response to concerns in the market and to ensure that Delaware preserves its commitment to clarity and predictability, the Delaware legislature and Governor recently enacted landmark amendments to Delaware corporate law. Please join us for a webinar discussing these developments and our observations.  
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