Awards and Recognitions
Mr. Trainor and Trainor Fairbrook have received more awards and recognitions for professional accomplishment and community work than any other real estate attorney or real estate law firm in Sacramento.
In 1998, Mr. Trainor was the first attorney in Sacramento to be elected as a Fellow in the prestigious American College of Real Estate Lawyers, which is an invitation-only organization of the top real estate attorneys in the nation. In the year he was elected, he was the only California attorney to be selected. Only one other Sacramento attorney, nominated by Mr. Trainor, has since been selected for Fellowship in that organization. He was also the first attorney in Sacramento to be elected as a Fellow in the American College of Mortgage Attorneys, which is also an invitation-only organization of the most highly regarded real estate mortgage attorneys in the nation. Only one other lawyer in Sacramento, nominated by Mr. Trainor, has since been elected as a Fellow in ACMA since Mr. Trainor was inducted.
Because of Mr. and Mrs. Trainor’s long-time commitment to charities in the community, the Association of Commercial Real Estate, the largest organization of real estate professionals in Sacramento, has named its annual Humanitarian Award the Charles Trainor Humanitarian Award, which has been presented at its award dinner annually since 1995.
A list of his and Trainor Fairbrook’s other awards and accomplishments include:
- Rated “AV Preeminent” – The highest recognition awarded by the national attorney rating organization, Martindale Hubbell, has been awarded to Mr. Trainor annually for over 35 years.
- Best Lawyer in Real Estate Law – Recognition as a Best Real Estate Lawyer in America, awarded to Mr. Trainor every year since 2007. Best Lawyers awards its recognitions based upon a vote of other recognized Best Lawyers in the Sacramento region. Only 1% of attorneys nationwide are eligible to become Best Lawyers.
- Sacramento Real Estate Lawyer of the Year – Four times in the past 14 years, Best Lawyers, based upon a vote of other Best Lawyers in the Sacramento Region, has recognized Mr. Trainor as the top real estate lawyer in Sacramento, including in the year 2025.
- Top Lawyer – Sacramento Magazine (for every year since publication of the list began).
- Best of the Bar – Sacramento Business Journal (for every year since publication of the list began).
- Super Lawyer – Recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer in real estate annually since 2007.
- Best Law Firms – U.S. News and World Report, Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers all named Trainor Fairbrook as a Best Law Firm for many years.
- Samuel J. Cullers Award – Lambda Alpha International, Sacramento Chapter’s top annual award to Mr. Trainor for his professional stature in the community and his long-time work with the Pacific Legal Foundation as a Board member and its Chairman.
- Foundation of Freedom Award – Pacific Legal Foundation’s highest award for work on behalf of the Foundation.
- FAME Award – Commercial Real Estate Women Sacramento for Family, Achievement, Mentoring and Entrepreneurship of women in commercial real estate.
- Award for Treatment of Women – The Commercial Real Estate Women gave Trainor Fairbrook a special award for its recognition and treatment of women. The first two lawyers that Mr. Trainor hired early in his career (about 1980) were recent female law school graduates who both remained with the firm for their entire careers. The firm was always about one-half women attorneys, which was very unusual before 2000.
- Father of the Year Award – The Sacramento Center for Fathers and Families Top Annual Award.
- Power of 10 Award – Sacramento Crisis Nurseries, special recognition of Charles and Paulette Trainor’s contributions to the creation of the two Sacramento Crisis Nurseries, serving as a refuge for toddlers and young children who need protection when their families are in crisis. The Award was given along with eight other individuals who brought the Nurseries to completion.
- Man of the Year – Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP) Charity Roast. The event raised $155,000 for the Sacramento Crisis Nurseries.
- Attorney of the Year Award – Doctor-Lawyer Annual Charity Event, recognizing the Top Doctor and Top Lawyer in Sacramento. The Top Doctor honored that evening was Dr. Ernie Bodai from Sacramento, who championed the creation of the breast cancer postage stamp for funding breast cancer research.
- Distinguished Alumni Award – California State University, Sacramento. His wife, Paulette Trainor, also received the award three years later. They were, at the time, only the second husband and wife team to have ever received the Award from the University.
- Sacramento Power Couple (with wife Paulette Trainor) – Sacramento Business Journal. Based on a vote by the community, Chuck and Paulette were selected as one of 25 “Power Couples” in the Sacramento Region. This list of 25 included the Governor of California (Jerry Brown) and the Mayor of Sacramento (Kevin Johnson) and their spouses.
- Outstanding Alumni Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity – Theta Upsilon Chapter’s Outstanding Alumni Award twice.
Memberships
- Member – State Bar of California, Business Law and Real Property Sections
- Member – American Bar Association, Real Property and Probate Section
- Member – American College of Real Estate Lawyers
- Member – American College of Mortgage Attorneys
- Member and Past-Board Chair – Board of Trustees, Pacific Legal Foundation: 1998-Present
- Member and Past-Board Chair – Board of Directors, Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization (SACTO)
- Member and Past-President – Sacramento County Bar Association Real Property Law Section
- Member and Past-Chair – Associates Council, North State Building Industry Association
- Member and Past-Chair – Sacramento Host Committee
- Member – Board of Directors, North State Building Industry Association
- Member – Lambda Alpha International
- Member – Association of Commercial Real Estate (ACRE)
- Member – Urban Land Institute
- Member – Board of Directors of the Sacramento Pioneer Association
- Member – Sacramento Grandfathers Club
- Member – Dean’s Council, McGeorge School of Law
- Member and Past-Chair – Board of Trustees, Theta Upsilon Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity