Overview
Working as a trial lawyer from Spokane, Washington, John has represented clients in state and federal courts in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Utah, as lead counsel in litigation, including intellectual property, contract, real estate, employment defense, environmental and trespass and nuisance.
- John has represented clients in a wide variety of cases, including:
- Intellectual Property Litigation, including defense and prosecution of patent, trademark and copyright infringement claims
- Contract Litigation, including commercial sales, construction, professional malpractice and partnership dissolution disputes
- Real Estate Litigation, including sales contract, misrepresentation/ failure to disclose, boundary, easement and water rights disputes
- Employment Defense Litigation, including discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge and competition disputes
- Environmental Litigation, including defense of Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act citizen suits and conjoined toxic tort claims
- Trespass and Nuisance Litigation, including claims of surface and groundwater contamination, insurance recovery and cleanup allocation
John has been admitted to practice in Washington, Utah and Idaho. He has also served as a federal law clerk for the Eastern District of Washington, and as Chair of the Washington State Bar Association's Litigation Section.
Professional Activities
- Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of Washington
- President, 2010
- Board of Directors, 2005-2012
-
Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
- Order of the Certus
- Order of the Veritas
- Diversity Law Institute, Member
- Trial Law Institute, Member
- Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, Lawyer Representative, 2005-2008
- Washington Civil Procedure Deskbook, Editorial Board, 2012, 2004, 1998, 1995
- Washington State Bar Association
- Litigation Section, Executive Committee, 1997-2004
- Committee Chair, 2002-2003
- Litigation Section, Executive Committee, 1997-2004
- Washington Trial and Evidence Manual
- Editor in Chief, 2004
- Editorial Board, 1997
Community Activities
- Friends of Mt. Spokane State Park
- Board of Directors, Ski Patrol
- National Ski Patrol, 1991-Present
- Pacific Northwest Division, Counsel
Services
- Litigation
- Antitrust & Consumer Protection
- Class Action Litigation
- Eminent Domain & Inverse Condemnation
- Environment & Natural Resources
- Environmental Litigation
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Investment Management
- IP & Technology
- Labor & Employment Litigation
- Labor, Employment & Immigration
- Land Use, Planning & Zoning
- Patents
- Privacy, Cybersecurity & Data Protection
- Public Finance & Municipal Government
- Real Estate
Admissions
- Washington (all state and federal courts)
- Utah (all state and federal courts)
- Idaho (all state and federal courts)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
Education
J.D., University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, 1986
M.A., University of Washington, 1983
B.S., Utah State University (cum laude), 1981
Clerkships
- The Hon. Alan A. McDonald and the Hon. Justin L. Quackenbush, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
Honors & Recognition
- Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow, 2022-present
- The Best Lawyers in America©
- Commercial Litigation, 2013-present
- Litigation - Environmental, 2019-present
- Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2019-present
- Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year,” Litigation - Labor and Employment (Spokane, WA), 2025 and 2020
- Spokane Top Lawyers, Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Living magazine, 2008-Present