John Walker is a trial lawyer with experience defending national clients in high-stakes product liability litigation, including more than 25 trials. He has been extensively involved in representing R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in smoking and health litigation in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico courts, including serving as lead trial counsel in numerous state and federal jury trials and arguing legal issues in trial and appellate courts.
Following the decertification of a high-profile Florida class action, John has been active in the management and defense of thousands of smoking and health actions brought by individual plaintiffs throughout Florida. As part of this work, he helps coordinate R.J. Reynolds' overall strategy in these cases on key legal and trial issues.
Before attending law school, John participated in Jones Day's Morehouse-Spelman Internship Program, in which Jones Day provided unparalleled learning opportunities for talented, law school bound students from two of the nation's most prominent historically black colleges — Morehouse College and Spelman College, in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon returning to Jones Day after law school, he served for years as co-coordinator of the program and as a mentor to past interns.
John speaks and writes Spanish (advanced fluency) and Italian (basic fluency) and has been active in various activities sponsored by local Latin American and Italian organizations. He is a member of the Product Liability Advisory Council. He has been selected as one of "Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Stars" numerous times and also was featured as an "On the Rise, Rising Lawyer Under 40."
Experiencia
- University of Pennsylvania (J.D. cum laude 2000; Associate Editor, Law Review; Regional Finalist, National Mock Trial Competition 2000; James H. Manderino Award for Trial Advocacy); Morehouse College (B.A. in Political Science, first in major, 1997; B.A. in Spanish 1997; Phi Beta Kappa; Magna Cum Laude)
- Georgia and Florida
Winner, Georgia "Commercial Litigation Department of the Year," The Daily Report, April 23, 2014
Best Lawyers in America (2015) — medical malpractice law: defendants
- Spanish