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John serves as chair of the Antitrust and Trade Regulation group and is head of the Antitrust Litigation practice as well. He has substantial experience in antitrust litigation and counseling including defending against challenges to mergers and acquisitions, monopolization and attempted monopolization, price fixing, class actions, and criminal investigations. In addition, he has been significantly involved in general commercial litigation. His antitrust background has involved advising clients on myriad issues from acquisitions to vertical restraints. Some of John’s more notable engagements include: Successfully defending a real estate firm against antitrust conspiracy and monopolization claims through a 12-week jury trial. Obtaining a dismissal of all claims for an industrial manufacturer in a national class action price fixing case and successfully defending a parallel federal grand jury investigation which resulted in no charges being brought. Obtaining judgment for a national consumer products company on monopolization and conspiracy claims in the Northern District of Illinois, and winning affirmance in the Seventh Circuit. Defending a tire manufacturer in a federal antitrust grand jury investigation of alleged nationwide price fixing which resulted in no charges being brought. Representing a worldwide maker of high-performance automation products in connection with the Justice Department’s investigation of competing takeover bids for the company. Winning, in the Ohio Supreme Court, a case establishing the ability of a municipality to adopt a building code more stringent than a State code. Winning a jury verdict in favor of a national securities brokerage firm on an executive’s claims of age and handicap discrimination. Winning dismissal of resale price fixing claims arising out of a home fixture company’s adoption of a minimum advertised price policy in the Eastern District of New York. John has argued cases before the Sixth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeal, as well as the Ohio Supreme Court. He is a member of the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Law and Litigation Sections; the Ohio State Bar Association’s (OSBA) Antitrust Section, past board of governors chair; and the Cleveland Municipal Bar Association. He has lectured frequently at the OSBA’s Antitrust Institute and is co-chair of the annual ALI-ABA program in Washington, D.C. -- Trying and Winning a Civil Antitrust Case. He has been named an Ohio Super Lawyer for Antitrust Litigation and is included in The Best Lawyers in America for Antitrust Law. John has served on the boards of the Geauga County YMCA and the Chagrin River Land Conservancy, and as chairman of the Munson Township Zoning Commission. He has authored chapters in the OSBA’s Valentine Act Monograph and the ABA Monograph Obtaining Discovery Abroad. John joined Calfee in 1980 and became a partner with the firm in 1988. | 