John has been trying lawsuits and arguing appeals in state and federal courts in Minnesota and across the U.S. for more than 30 years. His focus is on complex civil litigation, with an emphasis on commercial, corporate, and fiduciary issues. He has tried dozens of jury cases to conclusion, and his experience includes a wide variety of other forums, including appellate courts, administrative proceedings, and arbitration hearings. At the appellate level, he has argued cases in the Minnesota Supreme Court, the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has represented major corporations, financial institutions, non-profit organizations, and individuals.

John has lectured extensively on litigation, trial practice, legal malpractice, ethics, environmental law, and issues facing fiduciaries.

His counseling and litigation experience includes estate, trust and fiduciary liability, product liability, ERISA, class actions, insurance coverage, professional liability (especially legal malpractice cases), construction, environmental law disputes, age and race discrimination, breach of contract and Uniform Commercial Code matters, assault, false arrest and imprisonment, premises liability, copyrights and trademarks, unfair competition, covenants not to compete, trade secrets, fraud and other business torts.

John has tried product liability cases in a variety of areas, including drugs and medical devices, garage door operators, swimming pools, athletic equipment, toys, motor vehicles and tires, lawn mowers, agricultural equipment, carbonated beverages, fabrics and clothing, electrical appliances, hand tools, furnaces, water heaters, mobile homes, elevators and escalators, and industrial machinery.

His environmental work includes representation of defendants in court and administrative proceedings involving Superfund and hazardous waste litigation, other enforcement actions, air and water quality permitting, noise and odor pollution, underground storage tank matters, and other contested regulatory cases.

John is one of the firm's loss prevention partners, responsible for advising and representing the firm in matters involving professional responsibility, professional liability, and risk management.

He has served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and the Hennepin County District Court, and has frequently been a court-appointed and privately-retained mediator.

John represents clients in a wide array of industries, including banking and finance, law, family offices, mining and smelting, insurance, grain processing, heavy equipment manufacturing, department, discount and convenience store chains, health care, medical device manufacturing and sales, lead smelting, metal processing, foundries, printers and publishers, hospitals, utilities, chemical distribution, environmental engineering, and food packaging.

Representative clients.  Abbott Laboratories, Allina Hospitals & Clinics, AMF, Archer Daniels Midland, Armco Steel Corporation, Bemis Corporation, Cargill, DuPont, Eli Lilly, Guidant Corporation, ING Trust, U.S.A., Kohl's, Michelin, The Minneapolis Foundation, Minnegasco/Reliant Energy, Minnesota Medical Foundation, Minnesota Public Radio, NL Industries, PDQ Stores, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, The Stanley Works, Star Tribune Company, Sunbeam, Target Corporation, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo.

Representative Trial Experience

• Tried Lanham Act false advertising case against drug manufacturer/distributor falsely claiming its product as a generic equivalent
• Tried will contest cases involving diminished capacity and undue influence
• Tried product liability case involving industrial/commercial garage door operator in which plaintiff was a brain-damaged quadriplegic
• Tried CERCLA (Superfund) case involving site occupied for 40 years by lead smelting operation
• Tried brain damage case involving allegedly defective all-terrain vehicle
• Tried civil action and administrative contested cases regarding taconite mining operations and their tailings disposal practices
• Tried case involving Lanham Act false advertising and theft of ideas involving toys
• Tried tax court case involving tax-exempt status of halfway house as an "institution of purely public charity"
• Handled, tried, and settled class-action case under ERISA involving change-in-control executive severance plan
• Tried case involving catastrophic injuries arising out of amusement park ride
• Tried cases involving covenants not to compete in various industries, including insurance, medical devices, and computer sales
• Tried case involving contract breaches for sale of NBA-branded merchandise
• Tried cases involving quadriplegic plaintiffs against swimming pool manufacturer and athletic equipment manufacturers
• Tried case involving catastrophic burn injuries arising out of use of deep fryer
• Tried case involving destruction of residence by fire blamed on water heater

Professional Recognition

Clerkships

Presentations

Trade Organizations

Civic Associations

Pro Bono