About

John Rushing is a premier trial attorney and oral advocate. With a decade of experience in the entertainment industry as an actor and producer, Mr. Rushing has a sense of stage presence and gift for narrative that allow him to connect with juries on a human level. Mr. Rushing recently led the firm to victory in a contract dispute, securing a unanimous $17.8 federal jury verdict for a large manufacturer.

Mr. Rushing began his career as a litigator at Sidley Austin LLP, where he was a member of one of the nation’s premiere products liability practice groups and handled complex cases relating to pharmaceutical products, medical devices, environmental injuries, and insurance coverage. After many years at Sidley, Mr. Rushing became a plaintiff’s attorney focusing on protecting individuals hurt by nursing home negligence and medical malpractice.

After almost a decade in legal practice, Mr. Rushing shifted his focus to the entertainment sector, where he worked as a film producer and virtual reality entrepreneur. His experience as a litigator and startup founder allows him to bring comprehensive legal insights to companies and individuals seeking aggressive representation.

Mr. Rushing earned his J.D. with honors from The University of Texas School of Law where he served as a staff member for The Texas Journal on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights. While at Texas, Mr. Rushing served as a teaching assistant in a graduate-level course on public policy. Mr. Rushing also earned his Masters in Scholastic Theology (Medieval Philosophy) and Modern Theology from the University of Oxford as well as a B.A. with Honors in Philosophy from Calvin College.

Mr. Rushing is a competitive sailor and has crewed a Transpac, rounded Cape Horn, sailed to Antarctica, and been a member of the U.S. 11-meter sailing team.

You can review examples of Rushing McCarl’s public work here.

Licenses

California
Texas (inactive)
Illinois (inactive)
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States District Court for the Central District of California
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
United States District Court for the District of Colorado
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Western District of Texas

Education

J.D. with Honors, The University of Texas School of Law
M. Phil., Scholastic Theology, Oxford University
B.A. Magna Cum Laude, Philosophy, Calvin College

Selected Publications and Presentations

Acting for Lawyers (CLE), Clear Law Institute (2021)
Business Property Insurance May Cover COVID-19-related Losses, Daily Journal (2020)
Nursing Home Litigation: A Summary, Chicago Bar Journal (2008)
Vote Swapping and Free Speech: Voice, Politics, and Choice, 7 Tex. Forum Civ. Liberties & Civ. Rights 73 (2002); article quoted by the Ninth Circuit in Porter v. Jones, Case No. 06-55517 (filed August 6, 2007)

Affiliations

American Civil Liberties Union
American Constitution Society

Notable Results

  • Secured a $17.8 million unanimous federal jury verdict in a breach-of-contract case. Virgin Scent, Inc. v. BT Supplies West, Inc., Case No. 2:21-cv-00184-DMG-AS (C.D. Cal 2022).
  • Obtained a Ninth Circuit reversal of an order granting a motion to dismiss an airline passenger’s claims relating to an in-flight assault. Doe v. Compania Panamena de Aviacion, Case No. No. 21-55983 (9th Cir. 2022). You can watch John Rushing’s oral argument here.

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