Butts_John

John J. Butts

Butts_John

John J. Butts

Partner

  • Chair, Commercial Litigation Group
Boston + 1 617 526 6515

John Butts is Chair of the Firm’s Commercial Litigation Group.  He has prevailed in trials and arbitrations across the country for a wide range of clients in high stakes commercial disputes. John represents clients in a broad range of matters, including complex contract disputes, business torts, trade secrets cases, consumer matters, and class actions. His work has spanned a number of industries, including the automotive industry, financial services, real estate, and biotechnology.  

John earned Litigator of the Week honors by The Am Law Litigation Daily following a complete trial win and is top ranked by Chambers for general commercial litigation. He has been recognized on Boston Magazine’s list of Top Lawyers in the area of commercial litigation for five consecutive years and selected by his peers four times for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation. 

Before law school, Mr. Butts served as a surface warfare officer in the United States Navy.

Experience

  • Co-leader of successful defense of JPMorgan Chase, NA in multiple high profile matters concerning banking relationships and anti-money laundering claims.
  • Trial counsel for T-Mobile in a high-stakes contract dispute where the Delaware Chancery Court granted T-Mobile’s request to enjoin Cox Communications from partnering with any mobile network operator other than T-Mobile to provide wholesale wireless services. Mr. Butts was named a Litigator of the Week by The American Lawyer Litigation Daily for his work on the trial.
  • Co-leader of team that successfully defended Toyota Motor North America against consumer claims brought by the Attorneys General of New Mexico, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands arising out of defective airbags.
  • Leader of a team coordinating 250 arbitrations against a major automotive manufacturer arising out of its well-publicized bankruptcy, including personally trying a number of arbitrations.
  • Defended Maserati North America against in multiple cases brought by Maserati dealers alleging a variety of claims based on purported discriminatory treatment in performance bonus and holdback programs.
  • Successfully represented numerous technology clients in trade secret and licensing disputes, including cases involving complex technologies in the financial services, biotechnology, information technology, and video game fields.
  • Lead counsel for an artificial intelligence company in a multi-forum dispute with a former investor, prevailing on all claims and recovering attorneys’ fees in arbitration and securing the dismissal of a related defamation case in federal court.
  • Lead counsel for a financial services company, and prevailed at arbitration, in a dispute related to the value of the company’s privately held stock.
  • Lead counsel for a provider of customer loyalty programs in multiple nationwide consumer class actions.
  • Obtained dismissal, and successfully defended a subsequent appeal, of a putative nationwide consumer class actions alleging that consumers overpaid for a product that was later recalled from the market due to safety concerns.

Recognition

  • Recognized in the 2023–2025 editions of Chambers USA Guide in the area of general commercial litigation.  
  • Recommended in the 2017 and 2018 editions of The Legal 500 United States for his general commercial dispute resolution practice.
  • Named among the 2020–2024 Best Lawyers in America for his commercial litigation practice and in 2023 and 2024 for his securities litigation practice.
  • Named to Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers list in 2021–2024 in the area of civil litigation/defense.

Insights & News

View all of John's insights & news

Credentials

  • Education

    • JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1999

      cum laude Editor-in-Chief, University of Pennsylvania Law Review

    • BS, Villanova University, 1992

      cum laude

  • Admissions

    • Massachusetts

  • Clerkships

    • The Hon. Patti B. Saris, US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, 1999 - 2000

Credentials

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