John has substantial experience
representing profit and not-for-profit companies in a wide variety of
legal and business areas, from commercial, employment and
insurance-related litigation to real estate, corporate management and
school law issues. As a trial lawyer, John tried over 100 cases to
conclusion, including jury trials, bench trials, arbitration matters and
administrative law proceedings.
Prior to joining
Coppersmith Schermer & Brockelman, John was the General Counsel of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. In that capacity, he directed all
litigation and supervised various legal matters for the Diocese and over
100 parishes, schools and affiliated organizations. John also supervised
the Human Resources, Benefits, Corporate Management and Parish
Administration offices, advised the Diocese on numerous non-profit and
corporate governance issues, and advised the Catholic Schools
Superintendent on school personnel decisions, education-related policies
and procedures, and student and teacher disciplinary processes.
Prior to joining the Diocese of Phoenix, John sat on the Executive Board and was Vice President and General Counsel of Leslie’s Poolmart, Inc., a nationwide retailer of swimming pool supplies. John directed all litigation for the Company and its 600+ stores, and also supervised the Legal, Real Estate, Construction and Facilities Management, Loss Prevention, Risk Management, Safety, Regulatory Affairs and Workers’ Compensation departments.
Prior to joining Leslie’s, John was in private practice in Phoenix for 12 years, most recently as a partner in the law firm of Leonard, Collins & Kelly, where his practice concentrated on business and employment litigation.EDUCATION AND BAR ADMISSIONS
- J.D., Arizona State University, 1989
- B.A., Stanford University, 1985
- Admitted to Practice in Arizona and California
- Admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the District of Arizona, Southern, Northern, and Central Districts of California
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Represented owners of exotic and classic collector cars in jury trial against professional restoration company for breach of contract/fraud, resulting in substantial verdict for clients
- Represented motorcycle accident victim in a jury trial seeking damages for substantial personal injuries, resulting in a multi-million dollar verdict for client
- Successfully defended former officers and directors of failed savings and loans and insurance companies in various fraud and breach of fiduciary duty actions
- Represented electrical contractor in litigation and mediation of significant construction payment claims related to Toyota test track project, resulting in substantial settlement for client
- Defended Phoenix greyhound racetrack, Phoenix baseball stadium, and airport concessionaires in numerous premises liability and employment liability cases
- Successfully managed the defense of three separate state and federal wage and hour employment class actions for Leslie’s Poolmart (litigated in California)
- Assisted with several recapitalization and merger transactions on behalf of Leslie’s, and supervised the completion of 9 private placement bond transactions and 3 public bond offerings for the Diocese of Phoenix
- Supervised and personally negotiated commercial real estate leases for over 150 retail stores and over 10 new commercial/industrial facilities at Leslie’s
- Restructured the entire Diocese of Phoenix by creating 110 separate non-profit corporations and implementing new corporate governance policies
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
- AV Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale Hubbell
- Member of Advisory Board, Catholic Mutual Buying Alliance
- Member, St. Thomas More Law Society
- Member and Past Board Member, Phoenix Men’s Arts Council
- Member, Stanford Club of Phoenix and Stanford Buck Club
- Member, Brophy Prep Alumni Foundation and President’s Club (Phoenix, AZ)
- Judge, Jessup Court Competition (ASU Law School)
- Coach, Arizona State Olympic Dev. Soccer Program and Sereno Soccer Club
- Frequent lecturer for the State Bar of Arizona, for various professional education organizations, and for clients on non-profit corporate management, legal ethics and professionalism, workers’ compensation (basic and advanced), employee handbooks, sexual harassment, conducting internal investigations, conducting campus investigations, contract negotiation, workplace safety, and trial practice and preparation issues
Coppersmith Schermer & Brockelman PLC
2800 N. Central Ave.,
Suite 1200
Phoenix, Arizona 85004-1009
P (602) 381-5497
F (602) 772-3779
