• Member, State Bar of California
• Member, New York Bar Association

• Named among Lawdragon’s 2026 500 Leading Litigators in America

Select Representations

• Represented a prominent search/digital advertising company in a breach of contract/trade secret action in which the plaintiff sought $1.3 billion. Won a complete defense verdict.
• Represented a major video advertising company in an action against a former strategic partner in the Commercial Division of the New York Supreme Court. In a related matter in the Northern District of California, successfully defended the same client in a trade secret action filed by the former strategic partner.
• Won a directed verdict on behalf of the defendant, an internet real estate company, in a trademark action in the Western District of Texas brought by a local plaintiff with the same name.
• Won summary judgment on behalf of a venture capital company in an action for breach of contract, fraud, and securities fraud in the Complex Division of the San Francisco Superior Court.
• Represented several innovative biotech, medical device, and pharmaceutical companies in a range of commercial disputes concerning mergers and acquisitions, development agreements, contract matters, and business torts.
• Represented a semiconductor manufacturer in a trade secrets litigation in which the plaintiff sought $40 million in damages and recovered against a co-defendant, but was awarded nothing by the jury from our client.
• Represented a company specializing in gas and radiation detection technologies in several matters pertaining to licensing, trade secrets, and business torts. John obtained a complete defense award on a claim for the alleged misappropriation of trade secrets.
• Represented several large public employee pension funds in successfully prosecuting substantial claims for professional liability against their consulting firms.
• Represented several victims of a human trafficking scheme in a civil action against the perpetrators. The matter was settled for $8.9 million during trial—one of the largest cash recoveries ever obtained on behalf of victims of human trafficking in the United States.
• Represented a major multimedia entertainment company in a consumer class action seeking more than $50 million in damages and restitution. John also represented this client in a series of federal copyright infringement and state law "theft-of-idea" actions, shareholder derivative lawsuits, and other commercial matters.
• Represented a nonprofit healthcare system and its individual directors in a series of corporate governance lawsuits seeking more than $100 million in damages and challenging actions taken in response to changes in the Southern California market for healthcare services. John represented these clients in the trial court and on appeal, and obtained summary judgment on their behalf.
• Represented several major oil companies in a broad range of commercial cases resulting from refinery explosions; dealer disputes; employment issues; exposure to toxic chemicals; civil, administrative, and criminal environmental matters; and pipeline and other transportation issues. John successfully tried many of these cases to judgment, including a series of environmental cases and several personal injury and acute exposure cases.
• Represented a major North American reinsurer in several arbitrations concerning losses from the reinsurance of workers' compensation carve-out business.
• Represented several pharmaceutical companies in product liability cases involving deaths and serious injuries.

Select Speaking Engagements

• Presenter, “Trade Secrets for In-House Counsel: Save Your Companies Millions with Practical Steps for Protection and Defense,” Wilson Sonsini Client MCLE Day, March 2026
• Presenter, “Ruptured Relationships: Thinking Ahead to Trial so that You Won’t Be on Trial,” IP Symposium, Association of Corporate Counsel San Francisco Bay Area, September 2025