I feel called to find a way to use my knowledge and skills to help my hometown and my community.
Walter J McMath
Walter J. McMath, III (“John”; English/Spanish) is the defense attorney equivalent of a Swiss Army knife. He grew up in Oakland, California; where, as a youth, academic and theatrical talent caused him to stand out. Those skills would eventually lead him to Princeton University, a career in antitrust law in New York City; and finally, law school at UC Berkeley. Throughout this journey, John felt consistently called to find a way to use his knowledge and skills to help his hometown and his community.
John has consistently achieved successful outcomes that meet or exceed expectations, in multiple areas of law, throughout a career that spans three decades. John practiced as a member of the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office as a law clerk from 2009 to 2010, and as a Deputy Public Defender from 2011 to 2017. He has extensive California criminal trial experience and specializes in the clear presentation of scientific evidence. John delights in working with juries, and exudes charisma, skill, and earnestness when doing so.
In addition to his reputation as a top-notch criminal defense attorney, John has also successfully defended tort, landlord-tenant, and premises liability matters with exposure up to seven figures, as well as civil harassment and domestic violence matters in California family court. John also served as fractional general counsel to small tech companies, and in that capacity spoke at South By SouthWest 2022. John’s unique background makes him well-suited to handle even criminal matters where civil liability is also of parallel concern.
In every legal environment, John achieves powerful legal outcomes through uncanny communication skills and meticulous attention to detail. He has a knack for analyzing a legal matter quickly and thoroughly, committing the details to memory, and recalling those details at the drop of a hat, right at the most decisive moment.
John is a doting father of two. He is expert in multiple martial arts; and in his spare time he sits on the board of a theater company (“The Assembly,” New York), sings and plays keyboards, and serves as a volunteer music teacher to special needs students in Contra Costa County.