Cynthia B. McGuinn
Cynthia’s skills in the courtroom are the envy of many attorneys and she has the trial record to prove it—a number of her jury trials have resulted in eight figure verdicts and in 2015 she earned the record for the largest personal injury verdict in the history of Sonoma County.
Her ability to read and connect with jurors is second to none and she has the knack of making even the most difficult cases clear to each juror on the panel. Cynthia is often called upon to consult with attorneys who have cases that are going to trial, and to try cases for other attorneys who have worked up a complex case that cannot be resolved.
Cynthia’s client base is diverse; she represents consumers from infants to the elderly. Past clients include industrial workers such as iron workers, operating engineers, boilermakers, fork and crane lift operators, auto and airline mechanics, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, masons, roofers, painters, press operators, tile setters, truck drivers and general laborers. She has also represented other professionals such as computer analysts, IT professionals, nurses, doctors, teachers, judges, and models. A substantial part of her representation involves prosecuting actions for surviving family members in wrongful death cases and in prosecuting actions on behalf of persons sustaining injuries resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia and brain injuries.
McGuinn was honored as the 2003 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Associationand has been recognized as a “Top Woman Litigator” in California every year since 2005. She was the first woman president of the San Francisco Chapter and is presently the president of the national organization known as the American Board of Trial Advocates, and is a Fellow of several other invitation-only organizations, including the International Society of Barristers, the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. The International Academy is limited to 600 members worldwide. Cynthia is also a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California, American Association for Justice, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association and Bar Association of San Francisco.
While maintaining an active litigation practice, McGuinn writes, lectures and has taught at law schools (UC Berkeley and Harvard) on the subject of trial advocacy. When time permits she likes to bike, dive, and ski and ride her horses.
Cynthia has an A.V. Preeminent® rating for ethics and legal talent rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
- Trial Lawyer of the Year, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 2003
- Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 2004
- Masters in Trial, American Board of Trial Advocates, 2010
- Masters in Trial, American Board of Trial Advocates, 2011
- Selected for inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers list, 2005 to present
- Selected for inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers Top 50 Women Lawyers list, 2008 to present
- Lifetime Achievement Award 2015, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco, California
- Top 75 Women Litigators, 2005 - 2013
- Top 50 Women Lawyers, Super Lawyers 2008 - 2013
San Francisco, California 94104
