Ryan M. McNamara is a shareholder at Call & Jensen and a trial lawyer. Mr. McNamara specializes in the defense of claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and California’s Unruh Act and has successfully defended hundreds of corporations and business owners of all sizes from ADA lawsuits. Mr. McNamara is one of California’s most experienced ADA defense lawyers and, since joining Call & Jensen in 2007, Mr. McNamara has tried both bench and jury trials to verdict and has secured ADA trial victories from California to Florida. Mr. McNamara has also successfully litigated and defeated multi-million dollar employment, product liability, and class action claims with numerous judges noting that Mr. McNamara’s depositions and cross-examinations have been case-dispositive.

Prior to joining Call & Jensen, Mr. McNamara enjoyed four years with a renowned Los Angeles plaintiffs’ litigation firm. Mr. McNamara served as the lead associate in a mass tort pharmaceutical drug litigation involving approximately five thousand plaintiffs from all fifty states. The litigation was successfully resolved in favor of the firm’s clients via a $68,000,000 settlement. In his first year of legal practice, Mr. McNamara was the lead associate in a trial which received international media attention.

For eighteen years, Mr. McNamara has been recognized by Los Angeles Magazine as a “Super Lawyer” and “Rising Star” – distinctions reserved for less than 5% of attorneys in Los Angeles County and Orange County. These distinctions involve professional peer assessment and signify excellence in the practice of law.

TRIAL SUCCESS

Mr. McNamara’s litigation victories and professional accomplishments have been highlighted in The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and CNN. On multiple occasions, Mr. McNamara has been a featured guest on ABC Channel 7 News and on KFI’s “The John & Ken Show” radio program.
Mr. McNamara’s trial victories include the following:

• Defense Verdict: Trial victory secured for Call & Jensen’s client after the Court ruled that Mr. McNamara’s depositions and cross-examination had exposed the plaintiff as lacking “a modicum of credibility.” The presiding federal judge, with over forty years of judicial experience, noted that Mr. McNamara “meticulously questioned Plaintiff” and, over the course of a multi-day cross-examination, “continually impeached Plaintiff with nearly every question asked during both direct- and cross-examinations.” The Court dismissed the plaintiff’s lawsuit and, following the victory, the plaintiff was forced to dismiss all other pending claims and lawsuits against Call & Jensen’s client. The subject plaintiff had sued over 400 businesses in Florida for alleged violations of the ADA and, prior to encountering Call & Jensen, had never been challenged at trial.
• Dismissal Victories: Four trial victories secured for multiple Call & Jensen clients during the cross-examination of a professional ADA plaintiff. After cross-examination established that the plaintiff’s claims, which had been originally filed as statewide class action claims, were meritless, the plaintiff’s claims were dismissed. Call & Jensen’s victories were highlighted in a Fox-11 News feature regarding the unfortunate abuse of California’s accessibility laws.
• Defense Verdict: After less than one hour of deliberation, an Orange County jury returned with a unanimous verdict in favor of Call & Jensen’s client and against an ADA plaintiff who had filed approximately 200 ADA lawsuits within a single year. In awarding costs to Call & Jensen’s client, the judge stressed that Mr. McNamara’s deposition of the plaintiff “was used to devastating effect by defendant at trial.” McNamara’s trial victory was highlighted by the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, CNN, and “The John & Ken Show” radio program on KFI AM 640.
• Defense Verdict: After Mr. McNamara’s closing argument and within one hour of deliberation, a Los Angeles jury returned with a verdict in favor of Call & Jensen’s client and against an ADA plaintiff.
• Dismissal Victory: Trial victory secured for Call & Jensen’s client following motions in limine and after Mr. McNamara’s deposition of the plaintiff’s purported expert resulted in the expert being withdrawn. The ADA plaintiff was forced to dismiss the lawsuit before opening statements.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

An engaging public speaker, Mr. McNamara has personally trained over 1,000 attorneys from San Francisco to San Diego in the art and science of effective depositions. Mr. McNamara’s popular “McNamara on Depositions: Deposition Is Trial” seminars include his innovative strategies and techniques as well as specific examples from prior case victories. Some of Mr. McNamara’s speaking engagements include:

• “McNamara On Depositions: Deposition Is Trial” – Mastering the Deposition: A Critical Skills Workshop presented by Bridgeport Continuing Education (Irvine, California – 2023)
• “Deposition Is Trial: Effective Depositions in State Court” – 14th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp presented by Pincus Professional Education (Los Angeles, California – 2019)
• “McNamara On Depositions: Deposition Is Trial” – Mastering the Deposition: A Critical Skills Workshop presented by Bridgeport Continuing Education (Newport Beach, California – 2019)
• “McNamara On Depositions: Deposition Is Trial” – Mastering the Deposition: A Critical Skills Workshop presented by Bridgeport Continuing Education (Costa Mesa, California – 2018)
• “Disabled Access to Financial Institutions” – Orange County Bar Association: Banking & Lending Section (Newport Beach, California – 2018)
• “Deposition Objections” – Mastering the Deposition: A Practical Skills Program presented by Pincus Professional Education (Los Angeles, California – 2018)
• “McNamara On Depositions: Preparing Witnesses for Depositions” and “McNamara On Depositions: Defending Depositions” – Mastering the Deposition: A Critical Skills Workshop presented by Bridgeport Continuing Education (Los Angeles, California – 2017)
• “Disabled Access to Commercial Properties” – Orange County Bar Association: Real Estate Section (Newport Beach, California – 2017)
• “McNamara On Depositions: How to Take Effective Depositions For Trial” and “McNamara On Depositions: How Effective Deposition Testimony Plays Out at Trial” – Mastering the Deposition: A Critical Skills Workshop presented by Bridgeport Continuing Education (Costa Mesa, California – 2017)
• “Becoming An Effective Trial Advocate” – 2nd Annual SoCal Trial Lawyers Conference (Presentation to Pepperdine University School of Law Students) (Malibu, California – 2017)
• “How to Take Effective Depositions For Trial”, “How Effective Deposition Testimony Plays Out at Trial”, “Preparing Witnesses for Deposition”, and “Defending Depositions” – Mastering the Deposition: A Critical Skills Workshop presented by Bridgeport Continuing Education (Costa Mesa, California – 2016)
• “How to Take Effective Depositions For Trial” and “How Effective Deposition Testimony Plays Out at Trial” – Mastering the Deposition: A Critical Skills Workshop presented by Bridgeport Continuing Education (Irvine, California – 2015)
• “How to Take Effective Depositions For Trial” and “How Effective Deposition Testimony Plays Out at Trial” – Mastering the Deposition: A Critical Skills Workshop presented by Bridgeport Continuing Education (San Francisco, California – 2015)
• “Enhancing Accessibility & Protecting Your Business From Predatory ADA Lawsuits” – National Franchisee Convention – (Las Vegas, Nevada – 2013)
• “Deposition Fundamentals & Effective Deposition Strategies” Mastering the Deposition: A Critical Skills Workshop presented by Pincus Professional Education (Los Angeles, California – 2013)
• “How to Take Effective Depositions For Trial” – Mastering the Deposition: A Critical Skills Workshop presented by Bridgeport Continuing Education (Los Angeles, California – 2012)
• “How to Take Effective Depositions For Trial” – Mastering the Deposition: A Critical Skills Workshop presented by Bridgeport Continuing Education (San Diego, California – 2012)

EDUCATION

In 2002, Mr. McNamara was awarded a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. As a graduate student at Pepperdine Law and a leading member of Pepperdine’s Honors Trial Advocacy Team, Mr. McNamara excelled in the art and science of trial advocacy. At the time of his graduation, Mr. McNamara had secured the most Honors Trial Team victories in the School of Law’s history and, as a third-year law student, advanced his team past 225 teams from more than 120 different law schools to reach the Association of Trial Lawyers of America National Championship Finals. Based upon such efforts, Mr. McNamara was admitted to the Order of the Barristers and received the International Academy of Trial Lawyers’ Student Advocacy Award as the School of Law’s top student advocate.

In 2001, Mr. McNamara was certified in Alternative Dispute Resolution by the top-ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution.

Mr. McNamara earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin in 1996. While at The University of Texas at Austin, Mr. McNamara was a proud member of the Texas Wranglers which have been recognized by The University as both the “Most Outstanding Organization” and “Best Service Organization” on campus.

PERSONAL

Mr. McNamara is a world traveler who has ventured throughout numerous countries including Brazil, Chile, Peru, Spain, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Ireland, Croatia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. He is also a Mixed Martial Arts enthusiast who enjoys the arts, live music, concert photography, and travel photography. For years, Mr. McNamara has volunteered his time at a local animal shelter working with and finding homes for abandoned and neglected dogs.