Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP is proud to announce that our founder and partner, Thomas H. Bienert, Jr., has been selected as a Leading Commercial Litigator for 2026 by the Daily Journal, California’s premier legal newspaper.

This recognition reflects Tom’s decades-long commitment to excellence in the courtroom and the exceptional results he continues to achieve for clients across a wide spectrum of complex commercial disputes.

“Good lawyering begets business,” Tom told the Daily Journal. “We’ve kept ourselves small, under 20 lawyers . . . [we have] a lot going on.”

The Daily Journal profile highlighted several recent firm successes, including a $12.5 million verdict against a major credit card company on claims challenging anti-steering rules as well as terminating sanctions against the plaintiff in a highly publicized civil matter in which BKLW’s client, Timothy Ballard, the founder and former CEO of an anti-child trafficking organization, was accused of sexual misconduct.

Tom is widely recognized as one of the nation’s best trial attorneys in both civil and criminal matters. After spending ten years as a federal prosecutor, including serving as Chief of the Orange County Office of the United States Attorney, and two years at the national law firm Irell & Manella, Tom founded BKLW in 2000. Since then, he has built the firm into what it is today by bringing together talented trial attorneys who share his passion for courtroom advocacy.

This honor is the latest in a long list of accolades recognizing Tom’s extraordinary career. The Daily Journal included Tom in last year’s Leading Commercial Litigators list, and he was recognized as a Top White Collar Lawyer in 2020. He is recognized by Chambers USA as highly regarded in White Collar Crime & Government Investigations and has been selected to the Best Lawyers list every year since 2009 and as a Super Lawyer every year since 2006. Tom has also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from America’s Top 100 Attorneys, been named to America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators.

Beyond his legal practice, Tom is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a past President of the Orange County Bar Association, and has served as a Lawyer Delegate to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference.

Read more about Tom’s career and representative matters in his bio.

Read more:

• Thomas H. Bienert, Jr., Commercial Litigators, dailyjournal.com (subscription required)
• Four BKLW partners named to Lawdragon’s 2026 list of “500 Leading Litigators in America,” bklwlaw.com
• 2025 Chambers USA Guide recognizes three BKLW partners, two practice areas, bklwlaw.com