I am a trial attorney with experience and success in a wide range of cases, such as antitrust, IP, corporate, and contracts.

Jon's experience includes patent, trademark, and other intellectual property cases; corporate control and proxy contests; M&A transactions; securities fraud; commercial contracts; real estate development and leasing; ERISA fiduciary duties; insurance coverage issues; trade secrets; non-competition covenants; and unfair competition. Jon also handles False Claims Act cases; interference with contracts and business relationships; fraud; misrepresentation and other business torts; and vendor, supplier, dealer, and distributor and manufacturer’s representative and franchise terminations. Throughout his career, he has also defended many employment termination and other employment-related civil litigation cases, including all types of discrimination claims, whistleblower and qui tam claims, and wage/hour and other FLSA claims.

Prior to joining Howard & Howard, Jon spent 15 years at Quinn Emanuel LLP as a trial attorney. 

Services

Business Litigation

In courtrooms, agencies, and tribunals across the country, we pursue our clients’ interests–both cost-effectively and with positive results.

Credentials

Education

  • University of Michigan Law School, 1983
    • J.D., cum laude
  • Duke University, 1979
    • B.S.

Admissions

Not licensed or admitted to practice law in the state of Nevada

  • Michigan, 1983
  • California, 2003
  • Illinois, 1993 (Inactive)
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 2021

Professional Achievements

  • Michigan Leading Lawyers, 2021

Experience

Representative Matters

  • Representation of major private equity funds in disputes relating to private equity transactions. Edit
  • Special counsel to the board of a medical device company with products for tissue regeneration. Edit
  • Representation of a Fortune 100 public company in litigation relating to M&A transactions. Edit
  • Strategized and implemented a successful shareholder initiative to remove and replace the board of a large private company, which was affirmed by the Delaware Chancery Court. Edit
  • Defended an FLSA collective action against a regional bank, alleging misclassification of mortgage loan underwriters. Edit
  • Defended a regional bank in an ERISA company stock drop class action, alleging that its stock was an imprudent 401(k) Plan investment during a certain time period.

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  • Representation of Samsung in patent litigation against Apple. Edit
  • Successful defense of Micron against antitrust and related claims, alleging participation in the price fixing of DRAM memory and a boycott of competing DRAM memory technologies. We obtained a defense jury verdict after a four-month trial. Edit
  • Representation of trustee of a European dairy conglomerate in actions against major lenders and accounting firms, relating to fraud and illicit financing transactions that preceded its financial collapse, often referred to as the Enron of Europe. Edit
  • Defended a leading commercial mortgage lender and services provider against an attack by a major competitor who alleged improper servicing of commercial loan portfolios. Edit
  • Successful representation of Kmart in civil and criminal litigation in Puerto Rico, arising out of insurance claims for hurricane losses, and alleged employee misconduct in the preparation of the claims, including the allegedly intentional destruction of inventory. Edit
  • Successful defense of senior Kmart executives in class actions asserting ERISA fiduciary duty claims relating to Kmart's employee savings plan.

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  • Successfully obtained a large recovery for an NFL football stadium resulting from the breach of a lease by the NFL franchise, which vacated the stadium to move to a new venue during the lease term. The case involved complex damages and mitigation issues uniquely related to professional sports stadiums. Edit
  • Trial counsel for an automobile manufacturer in the defense of numerous wrongful discharge and employment discrimination cases. In addition to obtaining summary judgments, we won a "no cause" verdict in a federal jury trial, which was subsequently affirmed by the Sixth Circuit.

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  • Lead counsel for Kmart in the successful defense of consolidated 10b-5 securities fraud cases, which ultimately settled for nuisance value. Edit
  • Defended Kmart in multiple ERISA class actions in Texas and Colorado, arising from the stock sale of a subsidiary, Furr's Cafeterias and Bishop Buffets, and the alleged underfunding of the spin-off pension plan.

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  • Defended numerous damages and injunction actions resulting from the sale by Kmart of its former subsidiary, Pace Membership Warehouse, and the closure of most Pace stores. Actions were filed in various jurisdictions around the country and the cases involved claims ranging from the alleged violation of continuous operation covenants to alleged violation of bulk sales notice and transfer requirements, as well as alleged fraudulent conveyances. Edit
  • Lead counsel for a municipality in a successful civil RICO and antitrust case against waste hauling and disposal companies, a major city, and a variety of co-conspirators involved in a price fixing scheme relating to municipal waste disposal; and against the United States to obtain monies taken by the U.S. in criminal forfeiture. A large recovery was obtained. Edit