Waukeen McCoy '92

Bio

Waukeen Q. McCoy is a distinguished attorney, entrepreneur, and advocate for civil rights and social justice. A native of Tatum, Texas, McCoy graduated from Tatum High School before earning his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from San Francisco State University in 1988. He went on to receive his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (now UC Law San Francisco) in 1992.

Early in his career, McCoy worked at Mullen & Filipi and served as a law clerk for Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro in San Francisco. He also worked as a procedural motions deputy clerk at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals under the supervision of the Honorable Joseph T. Sneed and the Honorable James Browning.

McCoy is the founder, President, and CEO of the McCoy Law Firm, established in 1993 in San Francisco. The firm focuses on employment and civil rights litigation. A passionate advocate for equality, McCoy successfully defended marriage equality for same-sex couples before the California Supreme Court in the landmark In re Marriage Cases (2008), which made California the second state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. He also secured one of the largest discrimination verdicts in U.S. history—$132 million—against the parent company of Wonder Bread.

In public service, McCoy was appointed by Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr. as a commissioner on the San Francisco Ethics Commission (2002–2006), where he helped oversee regulations governing city employees and elected officials. In recognition of his contributions, Mayor Brown issued a proclamation declaring September 1, 2000, as Waukeen McCoy Day in San Francisco. McCoy has also been honored with the Champions of Justice and Equality Award from the Bayard Rustin Coalition for his advocacy on behalf of same-sex couples and was nominated as Lawyer of the Year by the Charles Houston Bar Association.

Beyond his legal practice, McCoy serves as President and CFO of Overtime Sports Management Group’s football and basketball operations and as President and CEO of Genuine Sports Group, a sports and talent agency he founded in 2012. His agency represents athletes in the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball, as well as musicians and actors in the entertainment industry.

McCoy’s community involvement includes prior service on the board of the YMCA of San Francisco’s Urban Services branch. He is a former Board member of the Bay Area Lawyers For Individual Freedom (BALIF). He currently serves on the advisory board for the University of San Francisco’s Sports Management Master’s Program and is a member of the California Employment Lawyer’s Association.