James McGill | |
|---|---|
 Goodman in 2009 | |
| Born | James Morgan McGill November 12, 1960 |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Criminal defense attorney |
| Spouses | |
| Website | BetterCallSaul.com (defunct) |
James Morgan "Jimmy" McGill, commonly known under the professional alias Saul Goodman, and later under the assumed identity Gene Takavic, was an American attorney and criminal formerly based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Best known for his time as the owner and sole partner of law firm Saul Goodman & Associates, McGill developed a reputation for underhanded and criminal tactics to defend his clients. From 2008 to 2010, McGill was a close legal advisor to drug manufacturer Walter White (alias "Heisenberg"), eventually becoming a key player in his international criminal empire. Following White's public exposure as a drug manufacturer, McGill fled Albuquerque with the aid of Ed Galbaraith, adopting the Takavic identity and relocating in Omaha, Nebraska.
McGill was born in the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Cicero to parents Charles and Ruth McGill in 1960. His brother, Charles Jr. (Chuck), was a successful Albuquerque-based lawyer and name partner at firm Hamlin Hamlin & McGill (HHM). Often stealing from his father's store as a child, McGill began working as a con artist based in the Chicago area once he reached adulthood with friend Marco Pasternak, earning the nickname "Slippin' Jimmy" for his many schemes. Arrested in 1992 after defecating through the sunroof of a prior acquaintance's car while his children were inside, McGill was defended by his elder brother on the condition that he return with him to Albuquerque and begin working a legitimate job in HHM's mail room. While working in the mail room, Jimmy met his long-time romantic interest Kim Wexler and passed the bar in 2001 after attending the University of American Samoa's correspondence law school. McGill, however, was not offered a position at HHM due to Chuck's influence, and began a solo law practice. McGill also found regular work during this period as a public defender, as well as caring for Chuck during his bouts of alleged electromagnetic hypersensitivity. His investigations of elder abuse at Sandpiper Crossing nursing homes earned him a position at firm Davis & Main in 2002. The same year, he would work to sabotage HHM's relationship with Mesa Verde Bank and Trust on behalf of Kim, although this would lead to an eventual confrontation between himself and and Chuck, leading to his arrest and the temporary suspension of his law license.
Better call Saul!
-McGill's iconic advertising catchphrase
Following the brothers' falling out, Chuck died by suicide in 2003. When Jimmy's law license was restored in 2004, he began regularly using the name 'Saul Goodman' (a name he had previously used to run scams) as part of his law practice. Marrying Wexler the same year, Goodman would become closer in his involvement to the criminal underworld, gaining further exposure for defending prominent Mexican cartel figure Lalo Salamanca. Beginning his work for methamphetamine producers Walter White and Jesse Pinkman in 2008, Goodman helped connect their services with drug lord Gustavo Fring and establish their relationship with Vamonos Pest as a front for methamphetamine production, eventually becoming White's consigliere. Following White's outing as a criminal in 2010, McGill fled Albuquerque with the aid of 'disappearer' Ed Galbraith, relocating in Omaha, Nebraska, under the name Gene Takavic, working as the manager of a local mall Cinnabon.