BOSTON — Lynn native and former state Commissioner of Banks Terence “Terry” McGinnis’ long and storied career in finance just got longer. He has joined distinguished Boston law firm Nutter as senior of counsel.
McGinnis will advise Nutter’s corporate and transactions department and banking and financial services group, according to a statement provided by Nutter. He will focus on corporate governance, risk assessment and regulatory compliance.
“Joining Nutter gives me an opportunity to apply years of experience as a senior member of various bank Legal Departments, and more recently as the Commissioner of Banks, to help clients achieve their business objectives while safely navigating a complex regulatory landscape,” said McGinnis.
McGinnis’ career has spanned business and government. He was an Eastern Bank executive vice president before Gov. Charlie Baker picked him in 2016 to oversee more than 200 Massachusetts banks and credit unions with combined assets of more than $400 billion.
McGinnis stepped down as commissioner in 2018 and worked as a banking attorney and financial services consultant since January 2019.
McGinnis was Eastern’s general counsel for more than 12 years and previously served as assistant general counsel to FleetBoston Financial and group senior counsel to BankBoston.
He was associate counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Rules from 1979-1982.
McGinnis has cast a long shadow across North Shore philanthropy. He was named to the former AtlantiCare Medical Corp. board of trustees in 1990. Ten years later, he was elected chairman of North Shore Medical Center’s board of trustees.
He also served as the Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts’ board of directors chairman.
A graduate of the former St. Mary’s Boys High School, he earned a bachelor of arts degree from Merrimack College and a law degree from Boston College Law School. He also earned a master of arts degree from Boston College graduate school.
McGinnis served in the U.S. Navy on active duty and reserve, retiring at the rank of captain in 2001.
He praised Nutter as “one of the premier banking practices in Boston, serving a wide variety of banks and other clients in the financial services industry.”
“I have worked closely with Nutter in many capacities for over 10 years while general counsel at Eastern Bank, and have a high regard for the quality of their legal work and the integrity of the Nutter lawyers,” McGinnis said.
