Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP

What Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP does

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is a California-based law firm founded in 1927, organized as a California limited liability partnership and headquartered at 444 South Flower Street, 40th Floor, in Los Angeles. The firm operates across ten California offices — Los Angeles, San Jose (Silicon Valley), Orange County, Oakland, San Francisco, San Rafael (Marin County), San Diego, Palm Desert, Ventura County, and Inland Empire — and fields approximately 197 member attorneys. Two of its founders (Louis H. Burke and Thomas P. White) later served as California Supreme Court Justices, anchoring an institutional pedigree in California public law.

The firm delivers professional legal services across eighteen practice areas, with the principal practices centered on public law, education law, labor and employment, litigation, eminent domain and inverse condemnation, environmental and land use, insurance coverage, construction law, constitutional law, and real estate and business law. The 2026 service portfolio also includes a dedicated Data Privacy & Cyber Security practice. Service delivery is relationship-based: the firm represents California municipalities, counties, special districts (including water districts), school districts, charter schools, county offices of education, and private business clients. Representative engagements include defending the City of Los Angeles in Measure ULA litigation, securing an eminent domain jury verdict for the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, prevailing on appeal for the City of Vista, and obtaining summary judgment for the City of Santa Clarita in a personal injury matter.

Revenue is generated through hourly-fee professional services engagements with public agencies and private businesses; pricing is matter-specific and not publicly disclosed. The firm markets through thought leadership (including an annual Legal Trends publication, a Brown Act Compliance Manual, and a steady flow of practice-area insights), conference speaking at CALPELRA, CSBA, League of California Cities, AEP, and the California Eminent Domain Conference, and earned media covering case results and attorney recognitions. Managing Partner John J. Welsh and General Counsel Charles E. Slyngstad lead the firm; ownership rests with member/equity partners and there is no external investor, parent, or public-market exposure.

Name

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP

Legal name

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP

Website

https://bwslaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is a California limited liability partnership founded in 1927 with nearly 200 attorneys across ten offices statewide, providing specialized legal representation to public agencies, school districts, and private businesses in public law, employment, litigation, and education matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate & Construction Law (BPAHAAAE), Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Public law
• Employment law
• Education law
• Litigation defense

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Professional legal services billed primarily on hourly rates for California public agencies, private business entities, municipalities, and educational institutions. The firm handles litigation, advisory, and transactional matters across multiple practice areas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is a California-based law firm providing professional legal representation to public agencies, municipalities, school districts, and private business entities. The firm delivers counsel and litigation services across practice areas including public law, employment and labor law, education law, eminent domain, environmental and land use law, construction law, insurance coverage, constitutional law, and general civil litigation.

Product overview

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is a California public law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services through 18 distinct practice areas. The firm specializes in representing public agencies (municipalities, school districts, special districts) and private business entities across California. The practice areas span litigation defense, employment law, labor relations, real estate and land use, environmental law, constitutional law, and business transactions. The firm also publishes an annual Legal Trends report covering developments in California law.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eminent Domain Legal representation in condemnation proceedings, valuation disputes, and property acquisition matters for public and private entities.
• Inverse Condemnation

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Best Best & Krieger: California law firm specializing in public agency, water, environmental, and eminent domain law with multiple regional offices — overlaps with BWS in real estate, condemnation, and public law matters.
• Best Best & Krieger: California public law firm with strong public agency, water law, eminent domain, and environmental practices; a direct competitor for municipal and special district mandates across the state.
• Meyers Nave: California law firm with prominent public law, labor & employment, and litigation practices serving cities, counties, and public agencies — directly comparable in target clients and practice mix.
• Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo: California-based full-service firm with a comparable footprint of public agency, education law, and labor & employment practices serving school districts, municipalities, and special districts statewide — directly head-to-head with BWS for the same client base.
• Rutan & Tucker, LLP: California full-service firm with strong public law, labor & employment, eminent domain, and real estate practices — directly competes for Orange County and Southern California municipal clients.
• Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLP: Bay Area public agency, real estate, and construction law firm serving municipalities and private clients — comparable to BWS's East Bay practice and construction/real estate focus.
• Liebert Cassidy Whitmore: Specialty California labor, employment, and education law firm representing public agencies and schools; competes directly with BWS in the labor & employment and education law practice areas.
• Hanson Bridgett LLP: Northern California public agency, real estate, and labor & employment firm serving cities, school districts, and special districts — directly comparable to BWS's public law and education law practices.

Broad incumbents

• Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP: California-based full-service firm with substantial public policy, litigation, and employment practices; an incumbent competitor in California public law and regulatory matters.
• Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP: Large multi-office firm with broad California government contracts, real estate, and litigation practices; competes at the larger end of public law mandates while also serving private enterprise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burke-williams-&-sorensen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP