John has more than 35 years' experience representing clients before the North Carolina General Assembly, including major national corporations, such as Allstate Insurance Company, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., Bayer Corporation and national trade associations, such as the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association.  He has represented many North Carolina associations and entities in legislative matters, including the North Carolina Association of Realtors, North Carolina Association of Mortgage Professionals and North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry. John drafted and led the lobbying effort to pass North Carolina's Product Liability Act in 1979 and was the business coalition leader in the efforts to successfully rewrite North Carolina's workers compensation laws in 1993 and to pass tort reform in 1995.  John was recently ranked the second most effective lobbyist in North Carolina by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research, Inc.

John also represents individuals and large and small corporations in all levels of North Carolina state and federal court litigation. In addition, he has a broad and deep practice representing a variety of clients before various North Carolina state administrative agencies.

He has significant experience representing landowners in condemnation cases brought by state and local governmental agencies. His representation includes dispute resolution through negotiations, mediations and trials.

John is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America©  for 2007 & 2008 in the areas of Government Relations Law, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law.  He was also named to Business North Carolina's Legal Elite in 2005 in the area of Litigation.  In addition, John is recognized in the 2006, 2007, & 2008 editions of North Carolina Super Lawyers in the area of General Litigation.

John currently serves as the President of the North Carolina State Bar and as Immediate Past President of the University of North Carolina School of Law Alumni Association. He is a frequent presenter at continuing legal education seminars on land condemnation cases and professional ethics.

• North Carolina State Bar
• President (2008-2009)
• President-Elect (2007-2008)
• Vice President (2006-2007)
• State Bar Council (1997-Present)
• Executive Committee (2002-Present)
• Legislative Committee, (2002-Present), Chair (2004-2006) 
• Committee to Review the ABA's Ethics 2000 Commission Report (2001-2002)
• Emerging Issues Committee (2000-Present)
• Grievance Committee (1997-2004); Chair (2003-2004) 
• Ethics Committee (2004- Present)
• Rules of Professional Conduct Rewrite Committee (1994-1997)
• Committee to Rewrite the Rules Governing Disciplinary Procedure (1990-1991)
• Disciplinary Hearing Commission (1981-1990) Chair (1986-1990)
  
• Wake County Bar Association
• Professionalism Committee (2000-Present)
• Bench/Bar Committee, Chair (1996-1997) (2006)
• Long Range Planning Committee, Chair (1990-1993)
• Wake County/10th District Bar, President (1985)
• Board of Directors (1984-1985)
• Joseph Branch Professionalism Award, Recipient (2000)
• Presidents Award, Recipient (1996)
  
• North Carolina Bar Association
  • Legislative Advisory Committee, Chair (1997-2001)
  • North Carolina Commission for the Delivery of Legal Services (1996-1998); Chair, Legislative Advocacy Working Coalition
  • 4ALL Task Force; Legislative Chair (2007)
    
• Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism (2003-2006)

• North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund, Board of Trustees (2002-Present)  
• The Nature Conservancy, North Carolina Chapter
  • Board of Trustees (1989-1998)
  • Chair (1995-1998)
• Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences
  • Board & Executive Committee (1990 - Present)
  • President (1997-1998)
• The Law Alumni Association of University of North Carolina, Inc.
  • Board of Directors (1990 - present)
  • President (2006 - 2007)
• Boy Scouts of America
  • Occoneechee Council Executive Board (2000-2004)
  • Scoutmaster for 20 years
• East Central Community Legal Services Board (1985-1988)
• White Memorial Presbyterian Church
  • Former Deacon
  • Elder and Clerk of Session