McManis Faulkner, a leading Northern California trial firm, was honored as one of 2016’s “Top Boutiques” by the Daily Journal, California’s largest legal news provider. The firm was highlighted for its work in civil rights and was among 20 recognized law firms that focus on one specialty, including appellate, general corporate, bankruptcy/restructuring, energy, environment, immigration, IP, entertainment and more.
For 45 years, McManis Faulkner has maintained a long-standing commitment to improving access to justice. In doing so, the firm has fought to protect the rights of citizens to be free from arbitrary actions of the government.
This year, McManis Faulkner obtained a $2 million settlement for the family of Brandon Marshall, who was fatally shot outside his workplace by a deputy sheriff. The settlement was the highest settlement by the County of Santa Clara in a civil rights case in a decade.
McManis Faulkner also successfully represented a woman after two Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies shoved her against her car during a 2014 traffic stop. A federal jury found that the deputies had used excessive force, and that the sheriff had ratified their conduct, and awarded the client $40,000, which she plans to donate to charity.
In addition, a judge ruled in favor of McManis Faulkner’s client, the Vietnamese American Community of Northern California, in a lawsuit accusing San Jose officials of repeatedly violating the Brown Act, California's law requiring open government meetings.
McManis Faulkner made as well the first successful challenge to a government watch list since 9/11. The firm’s client, Dr. Ibrahim, was a Malaysian scholar who lived for many years in the U.S. before her visa was revoked. Dr. Ibrahim alleged that she was erroneously placed on the “no-fly” list and other U.S. government terrorist watch lists in violation of her due process rights. After eight years of procedural wrangling, including two dismissals of Dr. Ibrahim’s case by the district court, both reversed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the case proceeded to a week-long bench trial in December, 2013. Following the trial, the same judge who had twice dismissed the case ruled in Dr. Ibrahim’s favor, ordering that her name be cleared.
