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, telecommunications and technology, 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.
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 such as The American Lawyer, Benchmark 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. Bart is one of only 21 Band 1 trial lawyers listed by Chambers in its national rankings.
Clients recently interviewed by Chambers 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 the real deal. He’s an excellent trial lawyer in multiple settings.” “Bart is a real standout – he’s a top-notch litigator!” “He’s one of the best litigators with whom I’ve ever worked. He’s an amazingly smart and talented lawyer.”
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.
Potter Stewart Prize, best team performance in Finals of Moot Court Competition
Member, Board of Trustees, UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute, 2022-present
Member, Board of Directors, LA84 Foundation, 2021-present
Member, Board of Advisors, Founding Co-Chair, Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League, 2011-present
Member, Board of Trustees, Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, 1999-2010; Chair, 2004-2010
Member, Board of Directors, Alliance for Children’s Rights, 1998-2019; Chair, 2011-2014
Former Co-Chair, American Bar Association – Litigation Section, Government Litigation Committee and Task Force on the Independent Counsel Act
Former Adjunct Professor of Law, Loyola Law School
Adjunct Professor of Law, National Institute for Trial Advocacy
Lecturer, UCLA School of Law
Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year 2018, 2022-2024
Best Lawyers in America 2007-2024
California Legal Awards: Attorney of the Year Finalist, 2023
Chambers Global: USA: Litigation: Trial Lawyers 2022-2023
Chambers USA: California, Litigation: Commercial Litigation 2016-2023, Star Individual
Chambers USA: California, General Commercial Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations 2008-2023
Chambers USA: Nationwide: Band 1, Litigation: Trial Lawyers 2021-2023
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers (inducted 2014)
Benchmark Litigation, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America 2018-2022, 2024
Benchmark Litigation, National Litigation Star 2017-2024
Los Angeles Business Journal, Minority Leaders of Influence 2021-2022
Los Angeles Business Journal, Leaders In Law: Litigators and Trial Lawyers 2020
Daily Journal, Top 100 Lawyers in California, 2010 and 2015-2021, 2023
Daily Journal, Leading Commercial Litigator, 2023
Los Angeles Business Journal Most Influential Minority Attorney 2019, 2020
Sports Business Journal Power Players: Outside Counsel 2021
The Legal 500 United States: Dispute Resolutions: Leading Trial Lawyer 2022-2023
The Legal 500 United States: Litigation: White Collar Criminal Defense 2017-2018, 2023
The Legal 500 United States: General Commercial Disputes 2017-2018, 2020-2023 (Leading Lawyer 2022-2023)
The Legal 500 United States: Antitrust: Civil Litigation/Class Actions 2019-2021
The Legal 500 United States: Sports
Law360 MVP: Trials 2018
Super Lawyers 2004-2020
Minority Corporate Counsel Association: Rainmaker 2018
LMG Life Sciences: Life Sciences Star 2018-2022
LMG Life Sciences: Product Liability Attorney of the Year 2022
Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America 2024
Notable representations in civil trials and arbitrations include:
Some of Bart’s other notable representations in high stakes civil cases include:
Bart has successfully represented numerous companies and individuals identified as targets of grand jury investigations, including the brother of a former president of the United States, a sitting U.S. District Court judge, entertainment industry executives, the general counsel of a multinational corporation and other corporate executives. He has also represented politicians and other prominent figures in connection with both state and federal corruption probes.
Notable criminal trial victories include:
Bart has conducted numerous internal corporate investigations in the U.S. and abroad on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, universities and nonprofit organizations. Those investigations – involving companies doing business in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, Thailand and Venezuela, among other countries –have involved a variety of subject matters, including corporate embezzlement, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and potential securities laws violations.
Our lawyers share their insights into their winning strategies both in and out of the courtroom.