John Batter's practice focused on the defense of public and private companies and their directors and management against breach of fiduciary duty claims and securities fraud allegations, including those arising out of mergers and acquisitions and public offerings. He also had extensive experience handling the defense of SEC investigations and the unique issues presented by class actions. Mr. Batter joined the firm in 1982 and was a member of the firm's Senior Associates Committee.

Practice

Mr. Batter represented high technology and other public and private companies, which have included a national NYSE retailer, Raytheon, Canaccord Genuity, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Gulf Oil, Cumberland Farms, Vonage, Discovery Communications, Chicago Bridge & Iron, Babcock Power, Aspect Medical Systems, Sonus Networks, Peritus Software Services, Akamai Technologies, BioSphere Medical, Inc., Copley Pharmaceuticals, Fallbrook Technologies, Storage Technology, Avid and Michaels Stores. Clients relied on Mr. Batter to defend securities claims as well as to provide counsel on corporate governance matters and in connection with SEC, FINRA and state regulatory investigations.

In addition to advising clients in securities matters, Mr. Batter represented companies involved in litigation arising from consumer class actions and software or other technology licensing disputes.

Mr. Batter also supervised numerous pro bono cases involving veterans seeking benefits from the US Department of Veterans Affairs and individuals seeking housing and Social Security Administration assistance. 

Community Involvement

Mr. Batter is a former member of the Finance Committee for the Town of Weston, and served as chair of the town's Committee to Study Uses and Space Needs for Public Lands and Buildings. He is a former Regional Chair of the Harvard College Parents Fund.

Professional Activities

Mr. Batter served as a panelist for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education programs entitled "Securities Litigation Demystified," "The Private Securities Reform Act of 1995" and "Fundamentals of Civil Litigation Preparation." He is a primary author of the chapter entitled "Federal Securities Litigation in the First Circuit" in MCLE Massachusetts Business Lawyer, and has addressed a Boston Bar Association forum on "Important Developments Since the Enactment of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995."

Mr. Batter holds an appointment as a Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Business School, co-teaching Law, Management and Entrepreneurship and has lectured in both first and second year courses, including Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship, the Founders' Journey and the Entrepreneurial Manager. He also was a visiting teacher at MIT's Sloan School of Management, where he co-taught a course he helped design for second year MBA students entitled "Essential Law for Business."

Mr. Batter also served on the Marine Biological Laboratory Council in Woods Hole and was a member of the Board of Directors of the New England Legal Foundation, a non-profit public interest firm addressing policy concerns related to free enterprise.