Even after more than 40 years at the firm, John still enjoys sharing a drink and a laugh with his colleagues at the firm.

John is a senior trial lawyer in the Litigation Group, focusing on international dispute resolution. He has served as lead trial lawyer in numerous complex commercial, international, banking, securities and trust litigation cases, including class actions. John has practiced in state and federal courts and before arbitration tribunals in approximately 35 states and foreign countries. Over the past 30 years, John has represented clients in a wide variety of business disputes, including successful representations in an International Chamber of Commerce arbitration against a large Korean company, a federal court litigation against a Canadian government-owned corporation, an arbitration in Hong Kong administered by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, a securities arbitration customer claim resulting in a multi-million dollar settlement, the defense of a federal court consumer class action and the recovery of a large sum of stolen funds thorough coordinated court actions in the United States, Turkey, Cyprus, Portugal and the Cape Verde Islands. He is also experienced in obtaining evidence abroad under Letters Rogatory and The Hague Evidence Convention as well as obtaining evidence in the U.S. for use in foreign proceedings. John has additionally has enforced and defended against enforcement of foreign country judgments in U.S. courts and U.S. judgments abroad.

John serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, teaching a course on international commercial arbitration. He also coaches the University's team competing in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna.  John is also a frequent speaker on international litigation and international commercial arbitration, including biennial presentations at an international arbitration symposium in Salzburg, Austria; and Cincinnati Bar Association seminars.  Over the past 15 years, John has presented at the annual Congresses of the Union Internationale des Avocats in many countries around the world.

Throughout his career, John has been active with the American, International, Federal, Ohio State and Cincinnati Bar Associations and, more recently, with the Union Internationale des Avocats. He formerly was a member of the ABA's House of Delegates and has recently completed terms as the Sixth Circuit Representative on the ABA's Standing Committee on The Federal Judiciary, which is the ABA's committee that evaluates all federal court judicial nominees.  He currently serves as a board member of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation and Ohio Legal Help - Ohio's internet legal assistance portal.

John also frequently represents clients on appeals in state and federal courts and is a Life Member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference. As part of his appellate practice experience, he has served as chair of the Rules Advisory Committee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which is based in Cincinnati.

Prior to joining Bricker Graydon, John served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Philip Pratt, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Based on the grading and comments of his peers, John has been named one of Ohio’s Super Lawyers several times since 2004, and selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for his work in Arbitration, Commercial Litigation, International Arbitration-Commercial, International Arbitration-Governmental, and Mediation law from 2006-2020. Also, John has been named The Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year” for his work in Arbitration in 2014 and in Mediation in 2024. He is recognized with an AV Preeminent Rating, the highest rating given to lawyers by Martindale-Hubbell.

Education

University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School), B.S., Economics, 1969

University of Michigan, J.D., cum laude, 1972

Distinctions

The Best Lawyers in America - 2006-2016 & 2021-2022

Ohio Super Lawyer - 2004-2012 & 2014-2016

Best Lawyers - Lawyer of the Year - Arbitration 2014; Mediation 2024

Professional Activities

Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation - Board of Trustees - Nominating and Governance Committee

American Bar Association - Litigation - International and Dispute Resolution

Kentucky Bar Association - Member

Federal Bar Association - Member - Civil CLE Chair for 2004 National Convention

Ohio State Bar Association - Member - Federal Courts Committee (Past Chair 1990-1992 - 2012-2014)

State Bar of Michigan - Member - International Section

International Bar Association - Member - Litigation, Arbitration, and Mediation Committees

Cincinnati Bar Association - Member - Grievance Committee - CBADR - Arbitration

Union Internationale des Avocats - Member - Litigation and Arbitration Commissions

Cincinnati Bar Association Arbitration Service - Panel of Arbitrators International Arbitration Committee of International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution

Potter Stewart American Inn of Court - Master of the Bench - Executive Committee Member

Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference - Life Member

Cincinnati Observatory Center - President and Board of Trustees

Publications