Thomas M. Padian

Associate | IRVINE, CA
949-852-6700

Thomas Padian is a licensed California and Nevada attorney whose practice primarily focuses on construction and surety litigation.

Thomas’ recent successes, prior to joining the firm, include obtaining judgment in favor of a surety client in Nevada on a performance bond related matter, where the bond principal disputed liability and argued that the surety acted in bad faith.  Thomas also drafted the surety client’s appellate brief on an indemnitor’s appeal of a service of process issue that resulted in a published California Court of Appeal opinion, without oral argument (American Contractors Indemnity Company v. Hernandez (2022) 73 Cal.App.5th 845).

Thomas also has extensive knowledge and experience in the foreclosure of mechanic’s liens as well as enforcing and collecting on judgments.

Memberships & Affiliations

  • American Bar Association (ABA)
    • Member of the Fidelity and Surety Law Committee of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS)

Speaking Engagements & Publications

  • Panelist: “A Human Analyst’s Intuition: The More Effective ‘AI’ in Surety Credit Risk Analysis,” Western States Surety Conference, Seattle, WA, May 2025.
  • Co-Author: “California Law Update: Procedural Requirements and Practicalities When Advancing A Claim Against A Public Entity,” October 29, 2024.
  • Speaker: “Business Email Compromise Scams, Hacking and Phishing: Ethical Duties and Practical Precautions,” Webinar series presented by the Vertex Companies, LLC, August 2024.
  • Co-Author: “False Claims Statute,” Contributor to Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald’s Fifty State Survey of Key Issues Related to Construction & Engineering Contracts, 2024.

Areas of Practice

  • Construction
  • Surety

Education

  • Chapman University, Dale E. Fowler School of Law, 2018
  • California State University, Long Beach, B.S., 2011

Bar Admissions

  • California
  • Nevada

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada