Anna S. McLean

Ms. McLean is a partner in the Business Trial practice group in the firm's San Francisco office.

Areas of Practice

Ms. McLean has substantial expertise in the defense of complex class actions, with particular expertise in consumer finance. She represents auto finance companies and other financial institutions, insurance companies, and other providers of consumer products and services with regard to alleged unfair business practices, consumer disclosure issues, and mortgage and auto lending claims. Recently, she has litigated issues at the vanguard of California law regarding the enforcement of consumer arbitration clauses, e.g., Arguelles-Romero v. Superior Court, 184 Cal. App. 4th 825 (2010).  She has also represented major manufacturers in the tobacco, building products, and chemicals industries in multistate class actions and public entity cost-recovery litigation.

Education

• J.D., UCLA School of Law, 1989, UCLA Law Review
• B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1984, with high distinction

Admissions

• California

Representative Engagements

Represents major auto finance company in complex MDL proceeding and other consumer litigation nationwide.

Represents major car rental company in multiple state and federal class actions challenging fees, pass-throughs, and refueling charges. Defeated class certification or prevailed on dispositive motion in four recent cases.

Represented banks, insurers, and consumer finance companies in class actions in state and federal courts challenging force-placed insurance on automobile and home loans.

Represents several auto finance companies in class actions challenging post-repossession notices. Has represented numerous financial institutions in putative class actions attacking various repossession and auction practices.

Represented leading consumer finance company in multiple putative class actions challenging alleged “predatory lending” practices.

Represented major auto finance company in consolidated class and “private attorney general” cases challenging automobile leasing practices. 

Represented major window manufacturer in California putative class action product liability litigation seeking recovery for damages to single-family homes and other properties caused by allegedly defective aluminum windows and doors. Defeated class certification.

Represented Fortune 500 building products manufacturer in putative state and nationwide class actions filed in eight states alleging that exterior wood coatings fail to retard mildew growth and ultraviolet light degradation.

Represented cigarette manufacturer in numerous cases alleging products liability and consumer disclosure claims concerning tobacco products, including class actions, public entity “cost recoupment” cases, Attorney General, and “private attorney general” actions. 

Represented major building products manufacturer in product liability, breach of fiduciary duty and RICO actions concerning roof insulation.

Memberships

• American Bar Association
• State Bar of California
• Bar Association of San Francisco
• Association of Business Trial Lawyers

Articles

Articles and Presentations

• Interviewed in Class Dismissed, The California Lawyer, April 2012
• Q&A With Sheppard Mullin's Anna McLean, Law360, July 6, 2011 
• The Recent Assault on Consumer Arbitration Clauses, Lexology, Association of Corporate Counsel, October 2, 2009
• ABA Antitrust Section, Consumer Protection Committee Spring 2008 Meeting: "California Schemin', Unfair Practices and False Advertising in California"
• Product Liability Roundtable Discussion, The California Lawyer, December 2007
• Bridgeport Continuing Education 2006 Class Action & UCL Litigation Conference, May 2006, Recent Developments in UCL Case Law
• CLE International Class Actions Conference, February 2006, Impact of the Class Action Fairness Act 
• New Federal Law re Multi-State Class Actions, February 18, 2005
• CEB, Continuing Educating the Bar, April 2003, Unfair Business Practices - B&P Code §17200 and Beyond
• Practising Law Institute, Unfair Competition Claims 2002: California Section 17200's Impact on Corporations Everywhere, August 2002
• Glasser Legalworks Seminars, Litigation & Resolution of Complex Class Actions: Product Liability/Mass Tort Developments & Medical Monitoring Class Actions, January 2002