Philip C Andonian

Phil's practice is focused on representing individuals when their backs are against the wall. Whether they have been charged with a crime or are being investigated by the government, or whether they have been subjected to unlawful working conditions or have been seriously injured by someone else's misconduct, Phil is ready to fight. A formidable and highly respected litigator, Phil has tried more than two dozen cases to verdict and has helped many clients through the complexities of civil discovery and motions practice. He also regularly represents clients in administrative hearings and arbitrations.

Prior to co-founding CalebAndonian, Phil was Of Counsel at one of the country's leading labor and employment firms, located in D.C., where he represented local and international unions in all manners of litigation at the local, state, and federal levels. Prior to that, Phil was an attorney in the trial and appellate divisions of the public defender's office in D.C. - widely regarded as one of the best trial offices in the country - and before that he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert E. Morin, a former Chief Judge of the D.C. Superior Court. Before moving to D.C., Phil spent time as an associate at a boutique criminal-defense firm in northern California.

Phil also has substantial experience teaching litigation skills to lawyers and law students. He serves as a faculty member of Harvard Law School's Trial Advocacy Workshop and is an adjunct professor of law at American University Washington College of Law, where he has taught courses on trial advocacy and evidence. He also frequently leads litigation training for experienced lawyers around the country.

Phil is a member of the Edward Bennet Williams American Inn of Court, an invitation-only professional organization that has the distinction of being one of only a few Inns of Court focusing on white-collar criminal prosecution and defense, and includes judges from the D.C. Circuit, D.C. District Court, and D.C. Superior Court, as well as officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and some of the most established defense attorneys in Washington, D.C.

In July 2021, Phil was elected to a three-year term as a member of the D.C. Bar's Litigation Steering Committee. In January 2024, Phil was appointed as Chair of one of the regular hearing committees for the D.C. Board on Professional Responsibility, where he oversees proceedings involving allegations of ethical violations under the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct.