McGlinchey Stafford
McGlinchey Stafford was a New Orleans-founded American law firm focused on corporate defense litigation and related legal services.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
McGlinchey Stafford was an American law firm founded in New Orleans in 1974 by Dermot S. McGlinchey and Graham Stafford. It began as a small practice in a single downtown New Orleans office and developed into a multistate legal organization serving a broad client base that included Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, and government entities. Its principal area of recognition was corporate defense litigation, although the firm operated as a full-service business-oriented law practice rather than as a narrowly defined litigation boutique. The firm expanded substantially from its New Orleans origins. According to the available reference material, it ultimately employed more than 170 lawyers and maintained offices in 18 cities across 12 states and the District of Columbia. Its size placed it on The National Law Journal's ranking of the 350 largest law firms in the United States. This growth gave the firm a national operating footprint while retaining its New Orleans identity and headquarters. McGlinchey Stafford also developed a visible legal-information and thought-leadership role. In 2005, it launched the CAFA Law Blog, described in the reference material as the first blog devoted exclusively to the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. The blog addressed a specialized area of class-action procedure and served as a public-facing resource connected to the firm's litigation capabilities. The firm's business-continuity response during Hurricane Katrina was another notable part of its history. After the September 11 attacks, it had prepared an emergency plan. When Katrina disrupted New Orleans, the firm activated that plan, obtained additional office space in Baton Rouge, and secured 41 apartments for displaced lawyers and staff. The response illustrates the operational importance of continuity planning to a professional-services organization whose work depended on maintaining access to attorneys, personnel, clients, and legal infrastructure during a major regional disaster. McGlinchey Stafford later ceased operations in January 2026. On February 21, 2026, it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation and reported more than $10 million in liabilities. These events ended the firm's operations and changed its status from an active national law firm to a defunct legal-services organization. No reliable reference material supplied here identifies a successor firm, acquiring parent, continuing brand owner, or current website.
History
McGlinchey Stafford was established in New Orleans in 1974 by Dermot S. McGlinchey and Graham Stafford. The firm began as a small legal practice operating from one downtown office. Over time, it expanded beyond Louisiana and became a multistate American law firm with a stated workforce of more than 170 lawyers. Its offices eventually covered 18 cities in 12 states as well as the District of Columbia, giving the firm a national presence while preserving its New Orleans headquarters. The firm's client base included Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, and government entities. Its principal focus was corporate defense litigation, placing it within the segment of law firms representing organizations in complex business disputes and related defensive matters. The firm's scale was reflected in its inclusion on The National Law Journal's list of the 350 largest law firms in the United States. In 2005, McGlinchey Stafford launched the CAFA Law Blog. The publication focused exclusively on the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 and was identified in the available reference material as the first blog dedicated solely to that legislation. Its creation provided a specialized public information channel connected to the firm's litigation and class-action knowledge. Operational resilience became especially important during Hurricane Katrina. Following the September 11 attacks, the firm had prepared an emergency plan. When Hurricane Katrina displaced personnel and disrupted the firm's New Orleans base, McGlinchey Stafford implemented that plan. It arranged additional office space in Baton Rouge and secured 41 apartments for displaced attorneys and staff. The response allowed the organization to maintain a degree of continuity during a severe regional crisis and became a notable episode in the firm's institutional history. The firm ultimately stopped operating in January 2026. It filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation on February 21, 2026, with more than $10 million in liabilities listed in the available reference. The filing marked the end of McGlinchey Stafford as an active law firm. The supplied sources do not establish the identity of a successor organization, a continuing owner of the name, or any post-liquidation operating structure.
- 2026
Operations ended
[1]McGlinchey Stafford ceased operations in January 2026.
- 2026
Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation filed
[1]The firm filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation on February 21, 2026, listing more than $10 million in liabilities.
- 2005
CAFA Law Blog launched
[1]The firm launched a blog devoted exclusively to the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005.
- 2005
Hurricane Katrina continuity response
[1]During Hurricane Katrina, the firm activated an emergency plan developed after the September 11 attacks, arranged additional Baton Rouge office space, and secured 41 apartments for displaced attorneys and staff.
- 1974
Firm founded in New Orleans
[1]Dermot S. McGlinchey and Graham Stafford founded the firm in New Orleans as a small practice operating from a single downtown office.
Products and positioning
A nationally operating American law firm with New Orleans roots, positioned around corporate defense litigation and business-focused legal representation for large companies, entrepreneurs, and government entities.
Legal services
Corporate defense litigation
The firm's central identified practice focus was corporate defense litigation. It represented organizational clients in business-related disputes and defensive legal matters, serving clients ranging from large corporations to entrepreneurs and government entities.
Legal information and analysis · 2005
CAFA Law Blog
Launched in 2005, the CAFA Law Blog was a specialized legal-information publication focused exclusively on the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. It extended the firm's public-facing presence into commentary and educational material concerning class-action law.
Marketing campaigns
- 2005CAFA Law Blog
United States
McGlinchey Stafford created a dedicated blog centered on the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, making specialized legal analysis available through a public online resource.
Outcome. The blog became a distinct thought-leadership initiative associated with the firm; the supplied material does not provide later readership or performance metrics.
Brand decisions
2026
File for Chapter 7 liquidationOtherBackground
After ceasing operations in January 2026, the firm entered bankruptcy proceedings.
Action taken
McGlinchey Stafford filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation on February 21, 2026.
Aftermath
The filing marked the end of the firm's operations. The available reference reports liabilities exceeding $10 million.
Listed liabilities. more than $10 million (At the February 21, 2026 Chapter 7 filing)
2005
Create a specialized CAFA legal-information platformStrategyBackground
The Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 created a timely subject for specialized legal analysis, particularly for a firm associated with corporate defense litigation.
Action taken
McGlinchey Stafford launched the CAFA Law Blog, focused exclusively on the Act and related legal issues.
Aftermath
The initiative gave the firm a specialized public thought-leadership channel. No financial results are identified in the supplied sources.
2005
Activate disaster-continuity arrangements during Hurricane KatrinaStrategyBackground
Hurricane Katrina disrupted New Orleans and displaced members of the firm's workforce. The firm had previously developed an emergency plan after the September 11 attacks.
Action taken
The firm implemented its emergency plan, secured additional office space in Baton Rouge, and obtained 41 apartments for displaced lawyers and staff.
Aftermath
The measures supported continuity for the firm's personnel during the disaster. The supplied material does not quantify the longer-term business effects.
Recent events
- 2026
McGlinchey Stafford ceases operations[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
The law firm ceased operations in January 2026, ending its activities as an operating legal-services organization.
- 2026
McGlinchey Stafford files for Chapter 7 liquidation[1]
Bankruptcy
On February 21, 2026, McGlinchey Stafford filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, listing more than $10 million in liabilities.
Sources1 sources
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