John McNutt is a senior associate in the firm's Real Estate and Environmental Litigation group and works primarily out of the firm's San Diego headquarters. The bulk of his practice involves defending corporations in civil actions in state and federal courts, and he has represented clients on matters before both the California Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court. He has represented a variety of institutional clients in state court, including Fidelity National Financial, Fidelity Information Services, Chicago Title Company, and Deutsche Bank National Trust Company. Mr. McNutt's typical matters include representing clients involved in class actions, construction defect claims, fraud claims, mechanic's lien claims, developer disputes, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and commercial contract disputes. He regularly advises corporations on ways to reduce litigation exposure and improve corporate compliance programs. He has represented clients under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice, and is licensed in California, New York, and the District of Columbia.
Mr. McNutt has authored articles on several controversial legal topics, including articles evaluating the interaction between relayed communications among corporate executives and the attorney-client privilege, proposing reforms to the historical methods employed by trustees seeking to conduct nonjudicial foreclosures of commercial or residential property, and analyzing the numerous economic and non-economic factors used to determine the independence of directors who serve on special litigation or audit committees.
Mr. McNutt received his B.A. from U.S.C. and his J.D. from the University of Virginia. He served as a legislative staff member on Capitol Hill from 1992 to 2000, and is an expert on the federal appropriations process.
Publications / Presentations
Select Linked Articles
02 | 01 | 2009 Attorney-Authored
Two Controversial Applications of the Attorney-Client Privilege You Need to Know
Media Presence / Articles About Attorney / Attorney Contribution
10 | 25 | 2010 Daily Journal
"Robo-Signing" Could Spawn Class Suits
All Authored Works
"Two Controversial Applications of the Attorney-Client Privilege You Need to Know" - San Diego County Bar Association - Young and New Lawyer Division Monthly Newsletter - February 1, 2009
"Avoiding Costly Mistakes in the Midst of California's Current Foreclosure Crisis: Practical Advice for Trustees and Beneficiaries in Nonjudicial Foreclosures" - UTA Quarterly - Summer 2008.