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BKLW Files Amicus Brief on Behalf of Innocent Man Held in Pretrial Detention for Four Years

Thu 16th Feb 2023, Blog

Working with Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP filed earlier this month an amicus brief to the Ninth Circuit on behalf of Roger Wayne Parker, who was wrongly held in detention for four years even after prosecutors received evidence clearing him of wrongdoing.  The Ninth Circuit will hear oral arguments on May 8, 2023 in Pasadena, Calif.  For nearly four years, prosecutors in Riverside County knowingly kept Mr. Parker incarcerated even …

Anti-Money Laundering Act Broadens Potential Sources for Whistleblower Claims

Fri 10th Feb 2023, Blog

The Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Whistleblower Improvement Act, passed in December 2022, is expanding protections for whistleblowers disclosing global money laundering – specifically by Russian oligarchs – and violating U.S. sanctions.  Whistleblowers stand to receive 10% to 30% of the value of fines collected from their reporting. BKLW Partner Dan Goldman spoke with Best Lawyers about the broadening of potential sources for whistleblower claims with the passage of AML. “While AML and sanctions-related compliance concerns used …

2023 Whistleblower Forecast with the National Whistleblower Center

Tue 24th Jan 2023, Blog

The National Whistleblower Center reported that the SEC received more than 12,300 whistleblower tips in 2022 and awarded  $1.3 billion in monetary sanctions through 70 actions. Partner Michael Williams of Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP discussed with NWC his predictions for the quantity (and quality) of whistleblower claims for 2023. “As the economy potentially moves toward recession or slow down, there’s often an uptick in whistleblower claims and SEC complaints because people are let go …

Five BKLW Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers® in 2023 Southern California List

Tue 10th Jan 2023, Blog, Firm Accomplishments and Recognition

Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP is proud to announce that five of its attorneys have been named to the 2023 Southern California Super Lawyers® list. Each year, only the top five percent of attorneys in the region are selected to receive the honor. Super Lawyers® is a listing of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes …

All Federal Anti-Kickback Charges Against BKLW Client Dismissed

Fri 6th Jan 2023, Blog, Case Successes

After nearly a year and a half of contested litigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California abruptly moved to dismiss all criminal charges against BKLW’s client, a prominent pain management physician from the Washington, D.C. area. U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton signed the dismissal order the next day, ending a painful ordeal for the client and his family. “This misguided prosecution should never have been brought in the first place. It …

BKLW Partner Whitney Bernstein Named “Top White Collar Lawyer” by Daily Journal

Wed 14th Dec 2022, Blog, Firm Accomplishments and Recognition

Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP Partner Whitney Z. Bernstein has been recognized as one of the Top White Collar Lawyers in California for 2022 by the Daily Journal.  The publication, which is lauded as California’s leading legal newspaper, honored 24 of the best white collar criminal defense attorneys in the state based on clientele, experience, reputation, and success in the courtroom, among other factors. The Daily Journal profile highlights Whitney’s recent case successes, including her …

BKLW Ranks Tier 1 in Five Practice Areas in 2023 “Best Law Firms” for Orange County

Fri 4th Nov 2022, Blog, Firm Accomplishments and Recognition

Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP has been ranked Tier 1 in five practice areas in the 2023 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list for Orange County. The firm maintained its rankings in Bet-the Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White Collar, and Litigation – Bankruptcy and raised its ranking in Criminal Defense: General Practice. Firms included in the 2023 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings …

When Partnering Up May Be Best in Whistleblower Litigation – Best Lawyers®

Sat 29th Oct 2022, Blog

When a whistleblower makes the admirable decision to speak against injustice, it is of paramount importance to hire a lawyer with a successful record litigating whistleblower and qui tam claims. Firm Partner Michael Williams of Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP, widely considered as an authority on whistleblower litigation, was interviewed by Best Lawyers® about embracing the complexities in this area of law, collaborating with referring counsel, and achieving success for clients through his unique perspective. …

BKLW Secures Misdemeanor for Tech Professional Charged with CAN-SPAM Act Violations

Thu 20th Oct 2022, Blog, Case Successes

A BKLW trial team consisting of attorneys Whitney Z. Bernstein, Thomas H. Bienert, Jr., and Carlos Nevarez and paralegal Leah Thompson secured a misdemeanor and no-jail time resolution in the middle of a multi-felony complex trial on behalf of the firm’s client, a non-resident technology professional working in the United States on an employment visa. The client and three others were charged in the indictment with one felony count of conspiracy, four felony counts of …

BKLW Partners “Lawyers of the Year” in Criminal Defense, Bankruptcy Litigation

Thu 1st Sep 2022, Blog, Firm Accomplishments and Recognition

Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams partners Whitney Z. Bernstein, Tony Bisconti, and John L. Littrell have been selected as 2023 “Lawyers of the Year” by Best Lawyers® for Criminal Defense: General Practice, Litigation – Bankruptcy, and Criminal Defense: White Collar, respectively, in Orange County. Only one lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.” The fact that three BKLW partners earned this rare distinction simultaneously—with Whitney and …