John is a highly sought after commercial litigator with a long track record of vigorously representing companies and individuals in their most consequential disputes. Clients rely on John when they face real material risk, and his success in big-dollar, bet-the-company matters justifies their trust.
Notably, John has emerged as one of the leading attorneys in the country representing immigrant investors defrauded by sponsors and developers through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. As this type of complex targeted fraud has become more prevalent in recent years, John has become one of the nation’s top EB-5 practitioners. Through aggressive investigation and discovery, John is often able to identify corrupt conduct by EB-5 sponsors and recover significant funds on behalf of his clients.
John also leads high-stakes litigation involving breach of contract and business fraud claims, securities and shareholder actions, and government investigations and select criminal defense cases. He regularly appears in state and federal trial and appellate courts and before arbitration panels in jurisdictions across the country.
Prior to rejoining Cozen O’Connor in 2020, John served as general counsel, corporate secretary, and chief compliance officer for a Fortune 400 public company. In those roles, he was a trusted adviser to senior management and the board of directors on a full range of corporate, operational, regulatory, and crisis management issues. He led a 20-lawyer legal team and oversaw national litigation, transactions, corporate compliance, risk management, and investor relations. He continues to counsel business clients facing legal and marketplace challenges.
John began his legal career as a prosecutor at the District Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia, and that prosecutorial experience continues to inform his practice today. He served in the appellate and trial divisions, appeared regularly before the Pennsylvania Superior Court, and prosecuted more than 30 jury trials and hundreds of felony bench trials, including complex cases involving multiple defendants.
Outside of his legal practice, John is deeply involved with Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that supports families affected by breast cancer. He served on the board of directors and oversees an annual fundraiser in memory of his mother. John also serves on the board of directors of Philadelphia Youth Basketball, an organization that provides mentoring and academic support to under-resourced girls and boys to develop their potential as students and leaders. John still hits the pickup basketball court at least twice a week to stay sharp for the courtroom.
John earned his B.A. from Haverford College and his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.