A litigator who prioritizes efficiency but believes it can only be achieved through attention to detail
Serving as a bookkeeper for small businesses prior to law school, John learned the most important role an attorney can play is advocate. This understanding drives John to earn his clients’ trust in handling their legal issues both before and after seeing the inside of a courtroom, ultimately allowing his clients to focus on their business.
“My background in bookkeeping helps me understand the value of attention to detail and the need for businesses to handle their legal matters efficiently so they can focus on doing what they do best: running their business.”
John’s litigation practice is primarily focused on complex commercial disputes, having gained experience handling a wide variety of matters including commercial landlord/tenant disputes, bet-the-company litigation, personal injury cases, and Constitutional issues.
“There are no small matters in litigation, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Every matter is vitally important to the people and businesses involved.”
In a business environment where communications and documents are increasingly digital and spread across an evolving landscape of technological tools, John’s attention to detail translates to his work in assisting clients with getting electronic data collected, reviewed, and produced as efficiently as possible. With experience managing small and large-scale e-discovery projects, John served as the team lead for the collection and review of over one million pages of documents for a two-week federal trial.
Graduating near the top of his class at the University of Richmond School of Law, John recognized that successful attorneys cannot just know about the law, but must also able to apply that knowledge outside of the classroom. As a result, John secured a semester-long externship with the Hon. Chief Judge Gregory at the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and was a regional finalist in the Client Counseling and Negotiation Competition.
John lives in Richmond with his dog, Ginny, and spends his free time playing basketball, following his beloved Washington sports teams, and patronizing Richmond’s many fantastic restaurants and theaters.
Practices
Civil Litigation
- Commercial, Contract, and Corporate Governance Disputes
- Construction Litigation
- Federal Courts and Local Counsel Practice
- Property, Casualty, and Business Liability Defense
- Real Estate and Land Use Disputes
Employment Counseling and Litigation
Representative Experience
- Negotiate and resolve disputes, with and without active litigation, and counsel clients on the best manner to avoid future disputes, including drafting settlement agreements, employment policies, leases, and promissory notes, ensuring compliance with the parties’ agreement and applicable law
- Serve on trial teams as lead counsel or support counsel on a diverse array of matters, with a focus on tort litigation, commercial disputes (including employment matters), construction disputes, and the adjudication of constitutional rights
- Draft pleadings, briefs, motions, and memoranda in support of active litigation across the litigation team
- Manage e-discovery in complex civil litigation disputes, including leading the e-discovery team and managing the full e-discovery process for a two-week federal trial involving over one million documents
- Draft pleadings, briefs, motions, and memoranda in support of active litigation, as well as settlement agreements, employment policies, leases, and promissory notes, ensuring compliance with the parties’ agreement and applicable law
Recognition
- Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© “Ones to Watch,” in the field of Corporate Governance and Compliance Law; Litigation – Construction (202-2024)
- Selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars List, Civil Litigation: Defense category (2023)
Education
- University of Richmond School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2017
- University of Richmond Law Review, Articles Editor
- Order of the Coif; Order of Barristers
- Walter Scott McNeill Law Society
- CALI Awards for Excellence
- Moot Court Board External Competition Chair
- Christopher Newport University, B.A., 2009
Admissions
- All Virginia Courts
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Affiliations
- Virginia State Bar
- American Bar Association
- Richmond Bar Association
- CLE Committee
- Local Government Attorneys of Virginia
- Virginia Repertory Theatre Junior Board of Directors
- Eagle Scout
The Residential Landlord’s Load Lifts a Little