Overview

John has handled dozens of cases in U.S. District Courts nationwide (e.g., Texas, New York, California, Delaware, Virginia, and Kansas) and at the International Trade Commission, including as lead trial counsel. His pretrial experience includes preliminary injunction hearings, over 70 depositions, motion practice, and Markman hearings. His substantial trial experience includes opening statements, direct examinations, cross-examinations, and closing arguments. Whether starting a case from the beginning or taking over a case from other trial counsel, he focuses the efforts of his team on actions designed to win the case at trial and through appeal, while always looking for ways to short circuit the case either by winning dispositive motions or by obtaining an early favorable settlement.

Representing both plaintiffs and defendants, John has invalidated patents in the Eastern District of Texas, obtained exclusion orders for patent holders at the ITC, navigated clients through the intricate Hatch-Waxman legal landscape, vigorously protected trade secrets, and defeated over-zealous allegations of trade dress. Whatever the posture, jurisdiction, or legal issue, John takes pride in shepherding a case—through trial if necessary—by applying the planning, execution, discipline, and leadership skills he honed as an officer in the U.S. Army.

While John likes to fight and win, he recognizes that his clients are in the business of business—not litigation. That’s why in addition to his trial practice, he routinely advises his clients, both established and early-stage companies, on developing creative and successful strategies that implement, protect, enforce, and leverage their IP assets. John also regularly counsels his clients on how to identify marketplace opportunities, create valuable IP, and conduct the due diligence necessary to assess risks and move the business forward with confidence.

John was born and raised in Kansas City. After attending the University of Notre Dame on an ROTC scholarship and graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, he served for four years in the U.S. Army’s Third Infantry Division (Fort Stewart, Georgia), where he earned the rank of captain. After his military service, John worked full-time as a patent examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office while attending law school in the evenings at the George Washington University Law School. Also while in law school, John served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Randall R. Rader of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

John lives with his wife and four children in New Canaan, Connecticut.