Named one of California’s “Top 100 Attorneys” and one of California’s top 30 Plaintiff Lawyers by the Los Angeles Daily Journal, and Orange County’s most “Buzzworthy” attorney by Orange Coast Magazine, John C. Manly is California’s preeminent attorney representing victims of sexual abuse. Over the past decade, John and his legal team have been heavily involved in the most significant sexual abuse actions litigated across the nation, assisting in the recovery of more than two billion dollars—through trial and settlement—on behalf sexual abuse victims. Additionally, Manly, Stewart & Finaldi’s litigation has effectuated significant non-monetary changes to the policies and procedures of youth and charitable organizations, helping to keep children safe.
Mr. Manly took on his first sexual abuse case in 1997. The case involved a young man victimized by his priest/high school principal. After 5 years of litigation, leaving no stone unturned, Mr. Manly was able to achieve a 5.2-million-dollar settlement in the action—still the largest single-victim pre-trial settlement in history for the type of abuse suffered. Since that time, Mr. Manly has devoted his time to assembling a powerful team of attorneys who specialize in litigating sexual abuse civil cases on behalf of children and vulnerable adults, firmly establishing Manly, Stewart & Finaldi as the nation’s preeminent law firm in the field. Manly, Stewart & Finaldi specializes in litigation of molestation, sexual harassment and exploitation actions in religious, employment, educational, familial and other settings. View our firm website for more information.
Mr. Manly’s work was predominantly featured in the 2005 documentary “Deliver Us From Evil,” which centered around the civil prosecution of notorious predator priest Oliver O’Grady and the church officials who protected him. His exploits in this arena have garnered substantial national media attention, cementing his reputation as one of the nation’s leading authorities in the arena of sexual abuse litigation.
