Bart H. Williams

Bart Williams is one of the nation’s most sought after trial lawyers and commercial litigators. He has served as lead counsel for numerous companies in their most challenging and high-profile matters.

Bart has served as a counselor and trial lawyer for Fortune 500 corporations in a variety of industries, including: sports, media and entertainment, financial services, consumer products, technology and telecommunications, pharmaceutical, and private equity. He has represented multiple major law firms in their most serious professional negligence cases. He has also represented celebrities, government officials and corporate executives individually in high-stakes matters. Bart’s background as a former Assistant United States Attorney has also helped establish him as a “go to” lawyer for internal corporate investigations and white collar criminal defense matters.

Commercial Litigation clients recently interviewed by Chambers USA commented:

“Bart is a fantastic lawyer who is super smart and always well-polished when it comes to court. If a major problem is at hand, he is the guy to pick.”

“He has deep trial expertise which informs the way he approaches cases from the outset. He's incredibly effective in oral argument and written advocacy.”  

“Bart is a brilliant, incredibly talented lawyer.”

“By every measure Bart is a star.”

“He’s one of the best litigators with whom I’ve ever worked. He’s an amazingly smart and talented lawyer.”

Trial clients recently interviewed by Chambers USA commented:

"Whenever you want a case to be won, you give it to Bart Williams. I can't say enough good things about him."

"He is really in the league of his own in regards to the cases he has tried this year."

"He's incredibly calm under pressure and knows when to be aggressive in cross-examinations. He just has a way of making juries want to listen to him."

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A member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Bart has compiled an impressive list of victories in jury and bench trials throughout the United States [View Matters List below]. He has been featured in numerous publications. Most recently, Forbes named Bart among their inaugural list of “Top 200 Lawyers in the U.S.” (2024). Bart has also been featured in The American LawyerBenchmark Litigation, Chambers USA, Law 360, LMG Life Sciences, Los Angeles Business Journal and the Daily Journal, which has repeatedly named him one of the top 100 lawyers in the State of California. In 2018, both Benchmark Litigation and Chambers USA named him as a finalist for National Trial Lawyer of the Year. Chambers lists Bart as one of only 4 “Star Individuals” in the State of California for General Commercial Litigation, and one of only 22 “Band 1” trial lawyers listed in its national rankings.

In a case Bart handled for the Motion Picture Association of America, CNET News reported, “Real [Networks] has hired some very able attorneys . . . . to represent it. But should it go to trial, Real would do well to hire a lawyer with the same kind of charisma and courtroom presence as Bart Williams. He's the lawyer . . . who is representing the MPAA. I'm no legal expert, but I've got eyes and the judge appeared to be more engaged when Williams addressed her. . . . Cases are supposed to be judged on facts but I'm guessing every advantage helps.

A leader within the Firm, Bart is an immediate past member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and also serves as worldwide chair of the Litigation Department and head of Proskauer’s Los Angeles office.

Bart served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California where he concentrated on complex criminal prosecutions involving allegations of fraud or other business crimes. He obtained convictions in 11 out of 11 jury trials. He received several special commendations during his tenure, including one from the Honorable Louis J. Freeh, then-director of the FBI.

Bart is a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School. He was a starting guard for four years on the Yale Varsity Basketball Team, and received the George McReynolds Award as the team’s Most Valuable Defensive Player his senior year.

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