Attorney

John, a graduate of Northwestern University, the University of Texas School of Law, and New York University School of Law, is an experienced and skilled trial lawyer and counselor specializing in employment law, police misconduct, securities fraud, class actions, consumer fraud, civil rights, general commercial litigation, products liability, and antitrust class actions.  John has also litigated cases involving serious personal injury from defective products and car or motor vehicle accidents.  He has litigated cases on behalf of his clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the United States.  John has also negotiated various contracts ranging from employment agreements for prospective employees to stock purchase agreements for large corporations.  He also reviews separation agreements on behalf of employees who have lost their jobs.

Recent representative engagements include:

• Civil rights action against New York City for false arrest and police brutality related to the NYPD's abuse of a New York City public school teacher.  This lawsuit has received wide media attention in the New York Daily News [link to article http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2007/10/08/2007-10-08_science_teachers_brush_with_police_ends_.html], WCBS TV, and Kiss FM radio, among other media.
• Civil rights action for false arrest and excessive force against various police departments, which settled before trial.
• Age discrimination action against major financial institution, which settled before trial.
• Race discrimination action against major publisher, which settled on the eve of trial.
• Class action against group of private schools that were defrauding parents.
• Successful arbitration of pregnancy and gender discrimination action.
• Federal securities law class action involving the bribery of a state senator.  John briefed and argued the case before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
• Successful defense of European client in breach of contract action before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
• Successful defense of a distributor named in the New York City firearms litigation, which the New York Times described as the most successful tactic in Mayor Bloomberg's drive to undermine the illegal gun trade.
• Successful prosecution of claims under Fair Labor Standards Act, resulting in back pay, and the Americans With Disabilities Act, which resulted in significant monetary award.

Former Representations:

• Prosecuted action against Florida boiler room sellers for fraud and violation of New York consumer protection statutes.  Significant monetary settlement with the defendants.
• Assisted in the defense of a patent litigation lawsuit.
• Successful defense of products liability action in Alabama state court.
• Successful representation of large public utility in action alleging monopolization under the Sherman Antitrust Act.
• Drafted retail price maintenance and minimum advertised pricing plans for corporations.
• Successfully defended the constitutionality of recent congressional statute: the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which resulted in dismissal of client from lawsuit.
• Assisted in fraud action against the seller of Health Maintenance Organizations because of failure to include all liabilities in the closing documents, which also resulted in jury's award of punitive damages.
• Successful defense of numerous defamation actions.
• Past results neither guarantee nor suggest a favorable result with respect to any subsequent case.  All cases have their own facts.