John Perry is business litigator who helps business clients address and resolve commercial disputes. He advises clients across multiple industries including financial institutions, insurance companies and brokerages, manufacturing and healthcare companies. John has represented major banks and financial institutions in complex issues involving problem loans, receiverships, and issues arising under the Uniform Commercial Code and other consumer protection statutes. He has defended officers and directors of publicly traded companies against claims of federal and state securities fraud and breaches of fiduciary duty, and numerous officers and directors of failed banks against claims asserted by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
John counsels clients on disputes involving trade secrets, employee defections and restrictive covenants (non-competition, non-solicitation, and non-piracy agreements). His experience includes complex asset and stock purchase agreements, earn-out disputes, fraud schemes, tortious interference, anti-trust and unfair competition, contract disputes, employment agreements, and complex sale of goods contracts under Article Two of the UCC. John also advises insurance companies and brokerages on coverage disputes and has defended multiple negligent procurement of insurance claims.
John has conducted jury trials, bench trials, and complex commercial arbitrations in front of single and three arbitrator panels under American Arbitration Association (AAA) rules and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules. He also has handled appeals in the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Presentations
- “Choice of Law, Venue and Other Procedural Issues in Restrictive Covenant Litigation,” Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secrets, Institute of Continuing Education (ICLE), State Bar of Georgia, June 2021
- “Ethical Minefields for In House Counsel: Privilege, Conflicts and Internal Investigations”, Association of Corporate Counsel CLE event, Georgia, March 2020
- “Choice of Law, Venue and Other Procedural Issues in Restrictive Covenant Litigation,” Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secrets in Georgia, Institute of Continuing Education (ICLE), State Bar of Georgia, January 2019
- “Mediating ERISA Disability Cases,” 8th Annual Georgia State Bar Employee Benefits Seminar, March 29, 2017
- “Georgia’s New Restrictive Covenants Act – New Playing Field! New Game?” - Georgia Chapter of Association of Corporate Counsel, Atlanta, GA, CLE Presentation, February 2012
Professional Activities
- Georgia State Bar Association - Young Lawyers Division Litigation Committee: Co-Chairman, 2010-2011, Membership Sub-Committee Chairman, 2008-2010
- Nominated and selected to serve as Barrister in the Logan E. Bleckley Inn of Court for 2011-2013
- Georgia State Bar Young Lawyers Division Leadership Academy, 2009
Honors and Awards
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings), Commercial Transactions/UCC Law, 2023 - Present
- Selected to the Georgia Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) in Business Litigation, General Litigation, Appellate, 2006, 2009 – 2019
Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Successfully represented broker/dealer in breach of contract, breach of restrictive covenants and theft of trade secret claims in FINRA arbitration against former employees.
- Awarded summary judgment in defense of insurance broker and insurance wholesaler on $1.5 million dollar negligent procurement of insurance and breach of contract claims.
- Successfully represented multiple international clients in complex breach of contract, breach of warranty and civil RICO claims.
- Awarded summary judgment in defense of former chief financial officer of a publically traded company on state securities fraud claims.
- Successfully defended pharmaceutical benefit manager (PBM) in several multi-million dollar arbitrations for breach of contract and negligence claims.
