Tal C. Finney, Esq.
Education
UCLA – Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and International Relations, 1986, Loyola Law School of Los Angeles – Juris Doctor, 1991; University of San Diego school of Law – Diploma, International Institute of Comparative Law
Admitted
CA 1991
Distinctions
Super Lawyers 2005 through 2012, 2015
Memberships
California State Bar, downtown Los Angeles Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Advisor to Executive Committee of the Environmental Section of the State Bar of California
Finney Arnold LLP, is a minority owned and woman owned business enterprise that was formed in 2016 by Tal C. Finney and Shaune B. Arnold after previous iterations of the firm dating back to 1988. Mr. Finney spent over eight years as Counsel to the California State Controller, Lieutenant Governor, and Governor. He received his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 1991 and a diploma in international trade, finance, and business law, awarded in 1989 from ISSEC in Paris, France. Mr. Finney spent seven years practicing business and malpractice litigation, regulatory compliance and enforcement, corporate transactions, and insurance coverage. He took a leave of absence in late 1995 to serve the public, resulting in the substantial development of his government regulatory and political expertise. Since then, he has created a unique practice consisting of corporate and transactional, regulatory compliance, land use and development, energy, entertainment, government, international business, insurance, and administrative law work representing Fortune 100 companies, government entities, mid-sized, and start-up ventures in a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, education, life science, high tech, entertainment, agricultural, commercial development, insurance and brokerage, and others. In 1993, Mr. Finney was elected Controller of the statewide California Democratic Party. In 1995, he was appointed by the State Controller to serve as General Counsel and Deputy Controller. In 1998, he was appointed to serve as General Counsel to the Lieutenant Governor. In 1999, Mr. Finney became Senior Advisor and Director of Policy to the Governor of California.Prior to his California state experience, Mr. Finney worked in Washington, D.C. for presidential campaigns and Members of the United States Congress. His work also included Congressional committee work and constituency work in Congressional district offices. He was a member of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference for the United States Armed Forces. Mr. Finney provides his clients corporate transactional, government regulatory enforcement and compliance, land use, CEQA and business litigation, energy, international trade and finance, nonprofit corporate transactional, intellectual property, and private equity transactional services. Over the course of his career, Mr Finney has litigated multiple environmental contamination cost recovery actions. Finney Arnold has been Panel Counsel to LAUSD’s Facilities Division and OEHS for 15 years and has also served as Counsel of Record in the Monsanto matter for the district on this matter for over five years. With over 30 years of practicing law in both the public and private sectors, Mr. Finney has extensive expertise and experience in handling environmental law for both private companies and public entities throughout California.
Mr. Finney served on and staffed a number of other critical positions in state government, including the:
• California Public Employees Retirement System
California State Teachers Retirement System
California Board of Equalization
California Franchise Tax Board
California Tax Credit Allocation Committee
California Governor’s Infrastructure Committee
California Board of Control
California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency
California Housing and Community Development Department
California infrastructure Bank
California State Mandates Commission
Regents of the University of California
Trustees of the California State University
California Commission for Economic Development
California State Lands Commission
California Consumer Services Agency for the development, issuance and administration of school facility bonds and related policy issues
California Governor’s Liaison to the Secretary of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction
A host of state financing and bonding authorities for school facilities, higher education, water and pollution control and correctional facility projects in the state.
Director of the Office of Administrative Law (state’s chief regulator)
Director of the Office of Planning and Research (state’s chief land use planner, Director of the State Clearing House, which administers CEQA, small business advocate, rural policy advocate, environmental justice advocate, international and community economic development advocate, and California Native American liaison)
Member of the Public Utilities Commission (regulates state’s transportation and utilities)
Director of the Office of Innovation in Government (state’s technology policy director)
Governing Member of the California Independent System Operator (manages state’s electricity grid and energy markets)
Interim Director of the Department of Social Services (adoptions, foster care, welfare-to-work and food stamps, child support, disaster service, community care and licensing, civil rights, refugee, and deaf access programs)
Governing Member of the California Earthquake Authority (world’s largest public catastrophic insurer)
Chair of the California Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (administers the Healthy Families program that provides insurance for uninsured children and their families, for uninsured low income pregnant mothers and their infants, and for individuals rejected by insurers due to pre-existing conditions)
Advisory Commission, and outside General Counsel to numerous businesses.
