att name

John W. McGuinness

Counsel

  • p. 310.424.3921
  • f. 310.424.3960
  • jmcguinness@buckleysandler.com

Biography

John W. McGuinness is a Counsel in the Los Angeles and Orange County offices of BuckleySandler LLP. He has extensive experience representing corporate and individual clients in high-stakes litigation, enforcement, trial, and appellate matters.

Mr. McGuinness focuses his practice in the areas of consumer class and individual actions, including mortgage/financial services and data security/privacy, complex commercial litigation, and government enforcement actions. He also counsels clients in the areas of consumer financial services, privacy, information security, consumer protection, and insurance recovery.  

Mr. McGuinness’ representative engagements include:

  • Representing a mortgage originator in a putative class action alleging violations of FCRA and California state law. On an issue of first impression, successfully obtained a ruling that reporting of post-foreclosure deficiency judgments in the state of California to credit reporting agencies did not constitute a violation of either the state or federal statute.
  • Representing several national retailers in putative class actions alleging violations of consumer privacy under California laws.
  • Representing a Native American tribe in an action against the United States for breaches of trust arising out of the mismanagement of tribal trust funds and natural resources.
  • Co-lead trial counsel for an international manufacturer and its subsidiary in a multi-week trial against a California state regulatory agency involving claims alleging violations of administrative law and California state constitution and counter-claims by the regulator for over $200 million in statutory penalties. Resulted in a highly-favorable settlement providing the client with equitable relief from the regulator and with the regulator obtaining less than 1% of its statutory penalties.
  • Co-lead trial counsel for an in-store advertising company, in an action against a competitor for violations of federal and state antitrust and unfair competition laws.

Mr. McGuinness is a frequent writer and speaker on class action litigation and consumer financial services, and has been quoted in various publications, including Forbes Magazine and Bloomberg News.

Active in the legal and local communities, Mr. McGuinness is a member of the American Bar Association, the Los Angeles Bar Association, the San Diego Bar Association, and the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He is currently the Co-Chair of the CGL Subcommittee of the ABA Section of Litigation Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee.

Before joining BuckleySandler, Mr. McGuinness was a senior associate at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP in New York and Washington, DC where he assisted in the development of Kelley Drye’s Consumer Financial Services Group.

Mr. McGuinness received his J.D. from the New York University School of Law in 1999 where he was a Sexton Oliva Fellow and an editor of the Environmental Law Journal. He received his B.A. from New York University in 1995 (magna cum laude).

Mr. McGuinness is a member of the California, New York, and Washington, DC bars and is admitted to practice before various district and appellate courts within those jurisdictions.

Significant Representations

Publications

In The News

Speaking Engagements & Events