TEL:+1 213.229.7633
FAX:+1 213.229.6633
333 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90071-3197 USA
Cynthia Chen McTernan is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She specializes in high-exposure complex commercial actions, class actions, and mass actions, with a focus on consumer protection and employment matters. Cynthia has represented clients in high-stakes matters at all phases of litigation and across a variety of industries, including higher education, technology, retail, entertainment, and financial services. She has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Commercial Litigation (2022-2024).
Cynthia regularly represents clients in the software, hardware, and platform technology industries in matters involving consumer disclosure issues. She is experienced in defending clients in consumer class actions, government enforcement actions, and mass arbitrations, especially those with complex legal and procedural issues that require coordination across multiple fora and with parallel investigatory components.
Her labor and employment experience includes litigation and counseling on wage and hour practices and issues relating to race and gender discrimination, retaliation, and harassment, as well as best practices on DEI initiatives. In addition, Cynthia has particular expertise in higher education and has represented multiple major universities in class and mass action litigation. Finally, she has successfully defended employers in wage-and-hour class actions and representative actions under the California Private Attorneys General Act.
Cynthia maintains an active pro bono practice, including representation of victims of anti-Asian hate crimes in coordination with the Alliance for Asian American Justice. She is also a member of the Firm’s Los Angeles Area Diversity Committee, and serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Cancer Support Community Los Angeles, which provides comprehensive care and support to those impacted by cancer, with a focus on under-resourced communities.
Cynthia graduated from Harvard Law School in 2013, where she was an editor on the Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English with High Distinction and summa cum laude from Duke University in 2010, where she was a Benjamin N. Duke Scholar and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Cynthia is admitted to practice in the States of New York and California.
Harvard University - 2013 Juris Doctor
Duke University - 2010 Bachelor of Arts
California Bar
New York Bar