Our Attorneys

James M. Hanlon, Jr.

Partner


Phone: (925) 210-2810

Fax: (925) 945-1975

Email: jhanlon@glynnfinley.com

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James Hanlon is a trial and appellate lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in federal and state courts as well as ADR programs. He has worked on a wide variety of commercial, product liability, environmental, employment, and wage-and-hour litigation. Mr. Hanlon is adept at quickly mastering complex facts and novel areas of law so they can be presented in a straightforward, persuasive manner to judges and juries.

Mr. Hanlon has tried cases in federal and state court and argued appeals before the California Court of Appeal and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Hanlon has a special interest in agriculture and viticulture and enjoys representing clients in those fields, as well as handling commercial and other matters. He was designated an under-40 Rising Star in 2012 and has been named a SuperLawyer every year since 2013.

Mr. Hanlon is the firm’s relationship partner with TPG, General Electric Company, the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). Over the years, Mr. Hanlon has maintained an active pro bono practice, including the ten-year habeas corpus representation of an Alabama death row inmate who was successfully awarded a new trial and then released from prison for time served.

Mr. Hanlon graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Michael Daly Hawkins of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and practiced with Covington & Burling LLP in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco.



Representative Cases:

  • KHM Holdings LLC v. Howe Manor, Inc. (Sacramento County Superior Court) Lead counsel for plaintiff real estate investor in suit seeking specific performance and other remedies for breached contract to purchase a 152-unit apartment complex.

  • Woodbridge Irrigation District v. EBMUD (California Court of Appeal, Third District) Entered case as lead appellate counsel following entry of summary judgment against our client in lawsuit concerning water rights on the Mokelumne River.

  • Torres v. Technion Contractors TCI, Inc. (Los Angeles County Superior Court) Co-lead counsel for general contractor in personal injury lawsuit after subcontractor’s worker suffered severe burn injuries. Successfully defended and resolved the plaintiff’s claims. Pursuing indemnity and defense against the subcontractor employer.

  • Xian v. Sengupta (California Court of Appeal, First District) Entered case as sole appellate counsel and secured reversal of judgment entered after demurrer was sustained without leave to amend in dispute concerning investments in a technology start-up that was acquired for a significant purchase price.

  • Marshall v. TPG (San Francisco Superior Court) Lead counsel for TPG in defending wrongful termination claim.

  • Yarbrough Russo v. Andrews (Solano County Superior Court) Trial counsel for plaintiffs in the four-week bench trial of a contract and business tort dispute concerning ownership and operation of a real estate development company with significant assets.

  • Garcia v. Flora Springs Wine Company (Napa County Superior Court) Represented winery in wage-and-hour class action.

  • Spring Ridge LLC v. Park Wine Company (San Mateo County Superior Court) Represented winery in defending tort and breach of contract claims brought by vineyard owner and landlord.

  • City of Los Angeles v. General Electric Company (U.S.D.C. C.D. Cal.) Co-lead counsel in defending GE from indemnity and construction delay claims related to equipment lost and damaged at sea while being delivered for a repowering project undertaken by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. GE was dismissed following a successful FRCP Rule 12 motion.

  • Scantlin v. General Electric Company (U.S.D.C. C.D. Cal.) Co-lead trial counsel for GE in defense of a defective design personal injury lawsuit brought by an electrician who sustained third-degree burns over more than 65% of his body in an industrial accident. GE was awarded summary judgment, which was upheld on appeal. Mr. Hanlon served as lead appellate counsel and argued.

  • Disability Rights Advocates v. MTC and BART (Pre-litigation) Led successful representation of MTC and BART in negotiating pre-suit resolution of claims concerning accessibility of universal fare card for blind and visually-impaired transit riders.

  • County of Santa Clara v. Atlantic Richfield Co., et al. (Santa Clara County Superior Court) Co-trial counsel for DuPont in defense of a public nuisance suit brought by 10 counties and cities seeking more than $1 billion for abatement of residential lead-based paint. DuPont was awarded a defense verdict after a two-month bench trial.

  • Hat v. HomeFed (Madera County Superior Court) Co-trial counsel for real estate developer in a lawsuit involving a 2,000-acre wine grape vineyard. Former owner who stayed on as tenant attempted to reverse the sale and to recover millions of grape stakes from the ranch. The developer prevailed in a two-week jury trial.

  • Smith v. Alabama (Alabama state courts) Co-counsel for an Alabama death row inmate in habeas corpus proceedings. Led investigation of prior counsel’s conduct and the underlying evidence. After a week-long evidentiary hearing conducted with co-counsel Covington & Burling LLP, the state circuit court overturned both the guilty verdict and death sentence. The ruling was unanimously affirmed by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in State v. Smith, 85 So.3d 1063 (Ala. Ct. Crim. App. 2010). Shortly after exhaustion of the State’s appeals, Mr. Hanlon’s client was released on a time-served agreement.



Areas of Practice:

  • General Litigation

  • Trial Practice

  • Appellate Practice


Bar Admissions:

  • California, 2001

  • U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 2003

  • U.S. District Court Central District of California, 2003

  • U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 2003

  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 2003

  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2001



Education:

  • J.D. – University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, Virginia, 2000

  • B.A. – University of Southern California, 1997

    • Honors: Trustee Scholar (Full-tuition academic scholarship)

    • Major: International Relations


Professional Associations and Memberships:

  • State Bar of California


Past Employment Positions:

  • Covington & Burling, LLP, Associate

  • Hon. Michael Daly Hawkins, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Law Clerk