Prior to Pierson Ferdinand, John was Of Counsel at Wilson Elser. Before that, John served as staff counsel for two major auto insurers for more than eight years. He was the Managing Attorney for GEICO’s Houston staff counsel office, where he oversaw up to 20 attorneys and 10 staff members. As Managing Attorney, John worked to drive office efficiencies, including consolidating and revamping the minor prove-up process in Texas to successfully cut the average case life for each file from 350+ days to less than 150 days.

John was elected to five terms (10 years) as a Trustee in the Village of Elm Grove, Wisconsin, where he served on various committees, including all 10 years as chair of the Legislative Committee. During this time, John worked to understand and explain complex issues and to bring people together on complicated topics. The skills he developed as a Trustee enhanced his ability to understand and fully address the needs of clients.

Areas of Focus

Insurance & Reinsurance Defense

John helps public- and private-sector clients identify and prevent exposures and, if they occur, capably manage reaction and recovery. He handles virtually every type of case – from a small claim to the most complex legal matter and all the transactional and jurisdictional issues in between. John is committed to resolving claims quickly and efficiently, regularly accessing centralized resources and firmwide talent, which frequently spawns innovative and cost-effective solutions to our clients’ most complex legal issues.

Commercial Litigation

John has the experience to effectively serve both large, well-established enterprises and small entrepreneurial organizations. General counsel, risk managers and other key members of businesses often call on him to provide legal strategies or execute focused litigation within designated time frames and budgets. John is particularly adept at handling negotiations between firmly entrenched parties, providing clear-headed advice and a range of options to help bridge the chasms that can easily distract from running businesses successfully.

Construction

John guides clients through the complexities of the legal system following the discovery of construction-related defects. He also handles the legal aftermath of construction accidents – from accusations of professional negligence to those claims where the employer has lost workers’ compensation immunity and is directly liable to the plaintiff/employer.