Olaf Growald
Hunter McLean
It would come as no surprise if in Hunter McLean’s DNA is a strand stamped “Lawyer.”
He is after all the great-great-grandson of Judge William P. McLean, the namesake of Fort Worth’s McLean Middle School. The profession of law has wound its way around generations of McLeans since, including the renowned defense attorney William P. McLean Jr., Jeff McLean, and, more recently, Hunter McLean’s father, William Robert McLean.
Hunter McLean is a descendent of the branch of Dr. John Howell McLean, one of the judge’s sons, who married Anita Hunter.
While the genealogy is certainly of interest to him, Hunter McLean’s pursuits have nothing to do with trying to live up to the standards set before him or any monuments.
“I just try to operate in the world where I have influence,” he says. “People that I do business with. To me my faith is first, family is second, and what I do with my time — I hope most of it has an eternal value and has a positive impact on people I intersect with. That’s really the only thing that lasts. Everything else fades away.”
McLean, 53, is a managing partner with Whitaker Chalk, his practice focusing mostly on representing clients in all manner of commercial and business disputes with an emphasis on large complex litigation.
McLean last year was selected to Fort Worth Inc.’s The 400, a list of the most influential players in the city, chosen through an examination of a range of sectors locally. McLean is the first in a series of articles profiling members of The 400. Others will be available online at fortworthinc.com.
“I have always held the truth as something that is lofty and honorable,” he says. “I think, particularly today, our society has walked away from it. The truth is whatever you say it is. The justice system is what really holds everything in check and balance. For a society to function, it’s critical that you have law and order.
“I had this strong sense of justice as a kid. I’m sure it’s in my genes. Which is probably why you have all these lawyers in my background.”
McLean earned a bachelor’s at SMU and his law degree at the University of Houston.