Bird Marella name partners Ekwan Rhow and Gary Lincenberg have been named to the 2026 list of America’s Top Lawyers by Forbes. The recognition highlights the “nation’s finest attorneys in private practice,” with “impressive track records in their specialties” who are “leaders in their fields and attorneys most respected by peers and clients.”
Mr. Rhow is a powerhouse trial lawyer for industry-leading companies and influential figures in complex, bet-the-company litigation. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, he is consistently recognized as a top commercial litigator by legal publications, including a national Band 1 ranking in Chambers USA‘s Litigation: Trial Lawyers category. He has first-chaired over fifty cases that were tried to verdict or award in courts and venues throughout California and nationwide.
Most recently, he won a landmark jury verdict awarding over $510 million (one of the largest verdicts in healthcare litigation history) to firm client Saint Mary’s Health Network in a pivotal healthcare trial, in addition to winning a historic habeas corpus ruling for a Marine Corps veteran.
Mr. Lincenberg is a nationally renowned trial lawyer whose extraordinary record in white-collar criminal defense and complex litigation has earned him a reputation as one of the country’s best trial attorneys. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is consistently ranked in Band 1 by Chambers USA for White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations. His trial success is unmatched, with complete victories or dismissals in his recent criminal trials.
In June, he won dismissal of all criminal charges against a national building contractor and its CEO in a case which the California Attorney General personally touted as a major labor and tax prosecution.
View the full list on Forbes here.
Previously, Forbes also recognized partner Julia Cherlow in its Top Women Lawyers list and partner John Berlinski in its Top Lawyers and Best-in-State Lawyers lists.
