Position: Member

TEL: (207) 874-4000

FAX: 

Email: Click Here

Website: 

Admitted: Maine

Law School: 

College: 

Birth Date and Place: 

Practice Areas: Civil Litigation, Eminent Domain, Condemnation, Employment Law, Labor Law, Governmental Relations

Additional Information: Although a trial lawyer, John understands that addressing his clients’ challenges may sometimes require him to turn to resources outside the courtroom – legislation, agency assistance, state trade groups, and municipal councils – to find the means to help his clients achieve their goals. Having tried many cases, chaired municipal councils, lobbied in Augusta, and appeared before multiple agency tribunals and boards, John knows that there are often many different forums available to provide his clients with the solutions they want. He also knows that the options may not be readily apparent and that a fresh look at each client and each situation is required. By first defining and understanding the clients’ needs and goals, John works with the client to craft an effective, efficient strategy – through litigation or otherwise – to reach the goal.

Given his approach, John’s practice involves a wide variety of trial and administrative work, including complex corporate litigation, antitrust litigation, majority-minority shareholder disputes, probate and estate-related litigation, and employment benefits and discrimination litigation. John also does considerable employment and labor counseling and governmental relations advocacy before the Maine Bureau of Insurance and the Maine Legislature.

John was the lead defense lawyer in American Economy Insurance Company v. Maine Workers' Compensation Residual Market Pool, a lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of state legislation that established a $220 million deficit funding package for the Pool. For more than a decade, John has served as general counsel to the Pool, an unincorporated association of more than 160 insurance companies, and guided the Pool from deficits estimated to be in excess of $500 million to solvency. John was also chief liaison counsel for the tobacco manufacturers in State of Maine v. Philip Morris Incorporated and has continued in that role in subsequent civil, administrative, and legislative matters relating to tobacco use. John has also defended successfully oil companies alleged by the State of Maine to have ruined town aquifers. In the employment arena he has handled employment discrimination claims from the agency level through the First Circuit, ERISA defense work for a paper company, a national bank and a life insurance company, and has successfully tried to jury verdict will contests involving substantial estates. John is currently lead counsel representing a coalition of Maine employers seeking to compel the Maine Workers’ Compensation Board to promulgate a medical fee schedule for hospital and ambulatory surgical centers.