Author: Jason Armstrong

An experienced trial lawyer, Mr. McLain spent nearly a decade in the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Southern Districts of California, where he prosecuted some of those districts’ most complex matters, including one of the largest hospital bribery schemes in California history. Most recently, he served as the associate U.S. attorney and member of the senior leadership team in the Central District, the largest U.S. Attorney’s Office in the country. His practice at Hueston Hennigan will focus on trial work, white collar defense, and civil litigation. Before becoming a federal prosecutor, Mr. McLain was an associate at Hueston Hennigan.

“Billy Joe was one of the first lawyers we hired when we launched our firm,” said the firm’s managing partner, Moez Kaba. “In the years since, he has built a reputation as an outstanding trial lawyer and strategist, and we are thrilled to welcome him back home.”

As an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central and Southern Districts of California, Mr. McLain successfully prosecuted 10 felony jury trials to verdict and led some of those districts’ most complex prosecutions, ranging from fraud to murder. One of his most recent jury trials resulted in the conviction of a doctor involved in one of the largest hospital bribery schemes in California history. Mr. McLain was also a member of the trial team that successfully prosecuted the largest foreign-national campaign-finance-fraud case in the history of the Southern District.

In addition to his trial work, Mr. McLain prosecuted several other defendants involved in the aforementioned hospital bribery scheme, conducted an investigation into a defense contractor for overbilling the government that resulted in the contractor agreeing to pay  $30 million to settle criminal fraud and civil False Claims Act investigations, prosecuted a school official who embezzled over $16 million from a school district serving underprivileged children, and prosecuted a real estate developer who paid bribes to a local politician.

In his most recent role as associate U.S. attorney, Mr. McLain implemented Department of Justice priorities across the Central District of California, managed attorneys working on those priorities and legal issues arising from them, and collaborated extensively with Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security leadership. He also served as the capital case coordinator, where he supervised the office’s capital case evaluation process.

“We are delighted to welcome Billy Joe back to the firm after establishing himself as one of the foremost trial lawyers in the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said co-founding partner John Hueston. “His expertise as a first-chair trial lawyer and his proven ability to try complex cases make him an invaluable addition to our team and deep trial bench.”

Mr. McLain was named 2024 “Prosecutor of the Year” by Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (Los Angeles). That same year, he also received the FBI Director’s Certificate for his prosecution of a hospital bribery scheme.

“I’m excited to rejoin Hueston Hennigan and work alongside my friends and former colleagues, who are some of the most talented attorneys I know,” said Mr. McLain. “Hueston Hennigan is the nation’s finest trial boutique, and I look forward to contributing to the firm’s reputation of excellence in the courtroom.”

Prior to serving as a federal prosecutor, Mr. McLain was an associate at Hueston Hennigan and Irell & Manella, where he litigated a range of complex commercial, securities and tort cases in state and federal court and represented executives during DOJ and SEC investigations.

Mr. McLain served as a law clerk to the Hon. Bruce M. Selya of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the Hon. James R. Nowlin of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. He earned his J.D., with high honors, Order of the Coif, from the University of Texas School of Law, where he served as an associate editor of the Texas Law Review. He obtained his B.A. in Philosophy, with distinction, from the University of Virginia.