When selecting a legal partner, we have found that organizations ask us three common questions:

1. Why Thomas Whitelaw?

  • Each Thomas Whitelaw attorney's passion is litigation. We come to work every day for the love of the game. Litigation is more than just a career for us. It is the reason life is worth living. Each case is our super bowl.

  • Thomas Whitelaw prides itself on a unique litigation style where every member from lead trial counsel to paralegal review every documents, every pieces of evidence, vet every legal theory and are intimiately invovled in each case from prior to drafting the complaint to final judgment and beyond.

  • We have a proven track record in high-stakes intellectual property, commercial and securities litigation as well as real estate and environment matters. Our experience crosses a breadth of industries and wide range of high-stakes cases.

  • Let us do what we love to do for you or your company.

Why Thomas Whitelaw?

Clients Know –

We deliver.

Ask our clients:

A general counsel of a large client recently commented, “You all put more into this case than just to get the job done. Everyone poured their hearts into this case. That is what set you apart from the other side. Throughout the trial I continually observed that the other side lacked a genuine team. That is what gave us a true advantage.”

Organizations choose us and come back to us case after case. This is because of our expertise and passion to win, coupled with the ability to achieve desired results that demonstrate value. This unique combination of attributes has put us in the enviable position of being on the short list of high-stakes litigation matters throughout the country.

2. What are the team's credentials?

  • Thomas Whitelaw’s partners each possess 15 to 35 years of experience in handling a multitude of intellectual property and business litigation cases both in and out of court. These seasoned partners, who came to us from careers at large, international firms, would manage your case and remain heavily involved on a regular basis.

  • Our outstanding attorneys have headed litigation departments at “AmLaw 100” law firms, hail from top schools and have served judicial clerkships.

  • Clients benefit from our team approach and the use of our top down approach where every team member from the lead trial lawyer to the paralegal has read every piece of evidence in the case and knows how to place the puzzle pieces correctly for victory.

  • Our attorneys draw upon their diverse backgrounds to devise creative solutions for your most challenging disputes. Our team includes a former aeronautical engineer, a wireless technology executive and real estate experts.

  • For matters with a broad geographic scope, Thomas Whitelaw may partner with its network of other law firms – both boutique and global – to efficiently and successfully manage casework.

3. What are your billing arrangements?

  • Thomas Whitelaw works with each client to develop billing arrangements designed to suit the client’s needs on a particular case or project.

  • We offer flexible billing through any combination of project, hourly, fixed fees and success fees. We are able to offer highly competitive pricing because of our boutique-style organizational structure and low overhead. We are early adoptors of AI and other highly efficient ESI technologies that make discovery and case management more effiecient. Our goal is to achieve reduced expenses and to maintain efficiencies.

  • We have earned our reputation as the rare litigation firm that delivers extraordinary results and value – just what general counsels of today need. Just what boards and CEOs demand.

History

Winning Strategies Driving Success

In 2000, Joe Thomas and Jim Whitelaw left their respective firms to begin a client focus boutique. Mr. Thomas and Mr. Whitelaw know that a truly successful litigation strategy begins before filing the complaint and continues through trial. Mr. Thomas and Mr. Whitelaw founded Thomas Whitelaw to best serve clients with the understanding that succeeding in litigation requires every attorney to be aware of every piece of evidence and every legal theory available.

All of the founding partners’ clients followed them to their newly established firm. New clients signed on and the firm’s success grew. At the time, we did not known we were pioneers embarking on a new model for providing high-quality legal counsel. We just knew that our clients deserved better value and better service.

We clearly struck a chord with many companies.

Our reputation as forceful trial lawyers and savvy technology and real estate litigators grew. In the legal community, word spread of not only our unique model but also of our collegial atmosphere and premier clientele. Today, Thomas Whitelaw is one of the leading litigation boutiques. Seasoned attorneys are attracted to our firm because they view us as pioneers and leaders. They see us as the battle hardened trial veterans.

With the economic recession, some law firms began to “cut” hourly rates to appease clients. Our clients already know that our interests are aligned with them. They know that we are continuously looking for ways to do things smarter and more efficiently. They know that we have forged the way for others to eventually follow.

Over the years, we attracted additional impressive, A-list lawyers from inner-circle firms. We invested in advanced electronic discovery and document management technology and vowed to be virtually paperless. We developed a firm-wide practice that emphasizes expertise in handling e-discovery and courtroom technology.

Today, Thomas Whitelaw’s practice and presence are significant in California and nationally. Our clientele includes many leading institutions in a variety of industries. The future holds additional opportunities for national expansion and growth. We are proud that our model has set new standards in our industry. But most of all, we are gratified that our vision has been embraced by clients throughout the country.