Bio

Over the past 30 years, John has practiced in the areas of healthcare, governmental regulation/administrative law, and the construction and petrochemical industry.  John is first chair counsel representing numerous physicians before the Texas Medical Board in Austin, Texas and is also a lead trial attorney focusing on medical malpractice litigation.

John graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1989.  Following graduation, John served as briefing attorney for the Honorable Howell Cobb, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District, in which he assisted Judge Cobb in authoring many opinions, including one concluding the $200 billion claim of the descendants of Pelham Humphries to the Spindletop Oilfield fortune.  This case was featured in the New York Times.

John then practiced in Corpus Christi as lead trial counsel with the law firm of Donnell, Abernethy & Kieschnick for 18 years representing hospitals, physicians and nurses in medical malpractice litigation. He also represented several Fortune 500 petrochemical companies in litigation matters.

Following his time in Corpus, John was honored to be offered a position with then-Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.  During this time he served as lead counsel to the Texas Medical Board, Texas State Board of Pharmacy, and the Texas Nursing Board in district and appellate courts throughout the state.  In so doing, he worked directly with the General Counsel of those agencies.

Also during this time, John served as lead counsel in a high publicity fraud case on behalf of a state agency, with a unanimous seven-figure fraud verdict, featured in the Dallas Morning News and for which he received the Texas Lawyer Verdicts Hall of Fame award for the highest fraud verdict.  John later served under Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, where he was lead counsel in several high profile cases, including the State’s effort in securing Second Amendment rights for Texans against governmental entities who attempt to limit those rights and other important constitutional matters.

Following his time with the Attorney General’s Office, John served as Assistant General Counsel to the Texas Medical Board, where he provided legal advice and counsel to the Executive Director and the Board.   During this time, he served as counsel to the TMB Panel members in over 300 ISC hearings involving physicians of all specialties. 

John earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and was a Distinguished Military Graduate from the University’s ROTC program.  Upon graduation in 1983, he was commissioned as a second Lieutenant in the United States Army with the 82nd Airborne Division.  In 1984, he was deployed to the Middle East as a member of the MFO Peacekeeping Mission.

John is licensed in the Federal District Courts for the Eastern, Western, and Southern Districts of Texas, all Texas state courts, and the State of Alabama.

Admitted               

Texas, 1990
Alabama, 1989 (inactive)
U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Western District of Texas
 

Education                                                                                                          

J.D., University of Alabama School of Law, 1989
B.A., University of Alabama, 1983