John Olsen, a versatile, passionate and skilled litigator and trial attorney, brings thirty years of experience to the firm. John has handled all types of commercial disputes for clients of all sizes and in all industries. He has prosecuted and defended intellectual property, employment, construction, antitrust, tort and contract claims before courts and arbitration panels in venues across the country. Two of John’s more memorable experiences are summarized below.

$40.4 million jury verdict. John was part of trial team that achieved a $40.4 million jury verdict in a defamation action filed on behalf of his investment fund clients. The claims concerned inflammatory and false remarks printed in a due diligence investigation report concerning his clients. After a 10-day trial, the jury awarded more than $39 million in actual, compensatory damages plus punitive damages. The Court later awarded more than $6 million in interest. John was also part of the team that successfully defended the verdict before the New Jersey Appellate Division and the New Jersey Supreme Court.
$200 million antitrust settlement. John was part of a team of lawyers that brought an antitrust case on behalf of client Swedish Match against United States Smokeless Tobacco in federal court in Owensboro, Kentucky. After the team developed evidence through witness interviews and depositions taken across the country, the case settled in Swedish Match’s favor for $200 million plus a cigar company.

Throughout his career, John has always focused on fully understanding his clients’ motivation and objectives and has always done his best to make sure his clients understand the legal process. John feels clients and lawyers must always work together to design the best strategy to achieve the client’s objectives as efficiently as possible with the resources available and must be able to adapt and change course, if necessary, as matters progress.

John graduated from the University of New Hampshire and received his law degree, with great distinction, from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Early in his career, John was an associate attorney at the international law firms of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker in Los Angeles and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in Los Angeles and New York. John is a member of the California, New Jersey and New York bars.