Thomas Neal Mcnamara

Thomas Neal McNamara, a long-time resident of The Tamalpais Marin, Greenbrae, California, was called home on October 10, 2022. Mr. McNamara (known as “Neal” by his family and many friends) had attained age 91 at the time of his passing. For some six decades, Neal lived in Marin County, much of it in residence at the family home known as the McNamara Ranch on Lucas Valley Road, San Rafael and later in Napa County.

Neal’s long and distinguished professional career was as a lawyer and partner at Pillsbury Madison & Sutro, San Francisco (now known as Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP), culminating as firm Chair of Pillsbury and as a nationally recognized expert in the laws relating to retirement and employee benefit plans.

Neal joined Pillsbury in 1959, after completing his legal studies at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. where he was law review editor, a member of the Order of the Coif and a graduate with a class ranking of fourth out of 130 class members. Neal’s undergraduate studies were at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, where he competed on the varsity soccer and swimming teams. After his graduation from Duke in 1952, Neal served as an officer in the United States Navy and saw active duty on the destroyer Fletcher in the Korean conflict. In 1956 he retired from the Navy with the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. Following law school, Neal joined the Naval Reserve Intelligence Unit on Treasure Island and eventually move to the retired rolls as Lieutenant Commander.

Neal became a partner at Pillsbury in 1967, where he came to specialize in tax law and eventually the laws relating to employee benefits, retirement plans and executive compensation. Through the bar association, Neal played an active role in the creation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Neal created Pillsbury’s first practice group in this important area of the law and his clients included many of the major corporate clients of Pillsbury and one of the largest employee pension trust funds in the United States. In 1990, Neal was elected Chair of Pillsbury and headed up the firm’s seven-member Executive Committee. As firm Chair, Neal led the firm in the largest law firm merger in U.S. history to that time, the merger of Pillsbury and the Los Angeles-based firm of Lillick & McHose. At the time of the merger, the combined firm was among the largest in California and the United States. Following Neal’s leadership in expanding Pillsbury’s footprint from San Francisco, over the next 15 years, the firm merged with a number of other prominent law firms and now has over 20 offices around the United States and abroad. Neal retired from Pillsbury as a partner and firm Chair in 1995. Al Pepin, who succeeded Neal as firm Chair at Pillsbury, says of Neal: “Neal had the vision to set the firm on a strong path to prominence beyond San Francisco and to establish modern management practices. He was a notable leader in the 154 year history of the firm and was a fine man.” Mary Cranston, who later served as firm Chair, says of Neal: “He was a great lawyer and a wise and strong firm leader.”

As evidenced by his athletic pursuits at Duke, Neal throughout his life was an avid sportsman, including a love of tennis, golf, fly fishing and blue water sailfish and blue marlin fishing. Neal was much involved in the formation of the International Game Fish Association (or IGFA) which is the keeper of the most current World Record fishing catches by fish categories. He led many fishing groups to Mexico to pursue the great blue marlin, winning a number of fishing contests on these trips. In his later years, Neal became a dedicated fly fisherman, making many trips to Alaska and British Columbia. Rod Peck, his fly fishing partner on many such trips, notes that well into his 80’s, Neal fished a number of famous and challenging steelhead rivers in British Columbia, including the Babine, the Skeena and the Bulkley, where on his last trip he landed and released a magnificent steelhead of over 25 pounds.

Neal was born on December 1, 1930 in Washington DC. to Louise L. Ryan and Philip Joseph McNamara, a career Naval surgeon. As Dr. McNamara was posted to multiple naval bases, Neal spent his childhood education in various East Coast elementary and high schools every other year, once revisiting the same school in a subsequent year. Neal often referred to Fitchburg, Massachusetts as his hometown where he grew up with an extended family, played baseball with neighborhood kids, and spent hours fishing with friends.

Neal is survived by his sisters, Fonny (Dan) Flanagan and Vicky (Pete) Palmer; friend and companion, Kathryn Conway; first wife, Deni Wetsel, and their children Mike McNamara, George (Araceli) McNamara, and Mary (Larry) Higgins; second wife Deana Hollingsworth (predeceased) and her three children John (Franny) Hollingsworth, Chris Hollingsworth, and Kim (Brian) McKenzie. Neal was fortunate to participate in the lives of his 8 grandchildren: Sean, Trevor, Lucas, Cordell, Ehrland, Alia, Amy, and Shannon.

People wishing to honor Neal’s lifelong commitment to family and community can make a donation to: Sequoia Living: Tamalpais Tomorrow Fund, Lifehouse, or By the Bay Health.

A Celebration of Life will be held December 1st at The Tamalpais in Greenbrae. Final interment with full military honors will take place at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.