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John D. North
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John is a premier trial attorney whose career has been defined by his presence in the courtroom. Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney, John has tried jury and non-jury cases in state and federal courts, including over 75 jury cases to verdict.

A highly sought-after advocate for the defense of catastrophic injury and other high-exposure cases in the areas of toxic torts, negligence, and public entity liability, John has earned a reputation for representing a sophisticated client base that includes public entities, hospital systems, real estate developers, financial institutions, and professionals including physicians, attorneys, accountants and insurance brokers.

John maintains an exposure-intensive defense practice with a particular emphasis on high-stakes litigation involving public and private entities. He possesses significant experience in the defense of personal injury actions alleging toxic torts, as well as the representation of public employers in complex employment disputes. His work in this area includes defending claims brought under New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) and Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA).

Additionally, John serves as a resource for hospital systems, navigating sensitive physician and medical staff privilege disputes and related healthcare litigation at the trial and appellate level, including matters involving the suspension and termination of a physician’s medical staff privileges and allegations of breach of medical staff bylaws, tortious interference with contract and prospective economic advantage, and fraudulent inducement. 

In the real estate and infrastructure sectors, John represents commercial and residential developers in high-value design and construction defect litigation. His practice is informed by the regulatory landscape of New Jersey, where he defends clients against claims brought under the Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act (PREDFDA) and the Consumer Fraud Act. This expertise ensures that developers are protected against both physical defect claims and the statutory liabilities associated with large-scale real estate offerings.

John’s advocacy further extends to the protection of professional reputations and financial interests. He regularly defends professionals facing allegations of negligence and malpractice, providing the oversight necessary to resolve complex liability claims. His experience also includes the representation of financial services clients in matters involving lender liability, financial fraud, and negotiable instrument disputes. By combining this broad-based litigation experience with a seasoned perspective on New Jersey’s unique statutory requirements, John provides his clients with the strategic foresight necessary to mitigate risk across multiple industry sectors.

As a recognized authority on evidence and trial strategy, John’s published thought leadership includes the evidence treatise A Trial Lawyer’s Strategic Guide to the New Jersey Rules of Evidence. He is a principal author of Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts, contributing the chapter in the treatise devoted to Medical Malpractice. He also contributed the chapter on statutory disclosure requirements in Winning Legal Strategies for Construction Law. He regularly lectures on trial practice and evidence issues in continuing legal education programs sponsored by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Bar Admissions

  • New Jersey, 1977
  • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 1977
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 1985
Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Law Attorney

Education

  • University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., with honors, 1977
  • Lehigh University, B.A., with high honors, 1971

Recognition

  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers Fellow
  • American College of Trial Lawyers Fellow
  • Litigation Counsel of America Senior Fellow: Order of Centurions Barrister; Order of Certus Advocate
  • Listed in Chambers USA (a publication of Chambers and Partners) in the Litigation: General Commercial and Construction practice areas (2011 – present)
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) in the Bet-the-Company Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs practice areas (2010 – present)
  • Selected by Best Lawyers (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) as Woodbridge "Lawyer of the Year" in Bet-the-Company Litigation (2022, 2013)
  • Listed in New Jersey Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters business) in the Civil Litigation: Defense, Banking, and Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff practice areas (2005 – present); listed as one of Super Lawyers’ Top 100 Attorneys in New Jersey (2010, 2011, 2019)
  • Listed as a Local Litigation Star in New Jersey in Benchmark Litigation (a publication of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC) in the Bankruptcy, Construction, and General Commercial practice areas (2016 – present)
  • Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated AV Preeminent (a trademark of Internet Brands, Inc.)
  • Recipient of the Trial Bar Award from the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey for distinguished service in the cause of justice (2019)
  • Recipient of the Professional Lawyer of the Year Award from the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey and the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law (2016)

 Litigation Counsel of America Fellow Best Lawyers - Lawyer Logo Best Lawyers - Lawyer of the Year Logo Best Lawyers - Lawyer of the Year Logo Rated By SuperLawyers John D. North 2026

Please visit our Award Methodology page for a description of the standard or methodology on which these accolades are based. Attorney Advertising: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Representative Matters

  • Successfully defended a major real estate developer in a six-month jury trial involving $200 million in alleged construction defect, financial misrepresentation, and consumer fraud claims brought by a condominium owners’ association.
  • Leading the firm’s team as New Jersey counsel to a multinational chemical manufacturer in more than two dozen federal and New Jersey state court actions alleging air and groundwater contamination caused by the discharge of PFAS substances. The cases include claims of alleged biomonitoring, personal injury, natural resource damage and contamination of a local water supply.
  • The firm represented the State of New Jersey, Office of the State Comptroller in appellate litigation challenging efforts to block publication of an investigative report concerning misuse of opioid settlement funds by a New Jersey municipality. The firm successfully secured a denial of the injunctive relief sought by the municipality, preserving the Comptroller’s authority.
  • Representing the State of New Jersey, Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs in multiple investigations and civil litigation arising from hundreds of COVID-related veteran deaths at state-operated long-term care facilities. This engagement also includes representation in the defense of dozens of employees who contracted COVID, as well as the defense of alleged civil rights violations in connection with the deaths of residents in these facilities, with claims totaling more than $69 million.
  • Representing the State of New Jersey, Department of Children and Families and Department of Corrections in a series of high-exposure cases arising under extended statutes of limitations involving claims of alleged child sexual abuse. The potential aggregate exposure across these matters approaches $1 billion, with certain cases expected to resolve through settlement or high/low agreements.
  • Represented the State of New Jersey, Department of the Treasury, Division of Investment and senior state officials in federal litigation alleging misappropriation of proprietary information and civil rights violations, securing dismissal of claims against the State and officials in their official capacities based on sovereign immunity.
  • Representation of a major healthcare system in litigation brought by a former physician alleging wrongful termination of privileges and antitrust and Lanham Act violations, resolving the matter through a favorable settlement.
  • In the first case decided under New Jersey’s elder financial abuse reporting statute, obtained a favorable non-jury ruling confirming that the client, a financial institution, acted properly and that the statute imposed no affirmative regulatory obligations.
  • Obtained a $26.2 million jury verdict on behalf of a plaintiff in a complex products liability “crashworthiness” case.
  • Represented a condominium association in litigation against a developer for alleged construction and design defects and financial misrepresentations, securing an eight-figure settlement during trial.
  • Represented a major financial institution in construction loan litigation involving complex lender liability defenses and counterclaims, securing a jury verdict rejecting all lender liability claims and a judgment for full recovery of amounts due.
  • Successfully represented a managing general agent in a high-stakes contractual dispute with an insurance carrier, obtaining injunctive relief in federal court and defending against nine-figure damage claims in arbitration.

Memberships

  • Trial Attorneys of New Jersey (former President, 2012)
  • New Jersey State Bar Association, Civil Trial Bar Section
  • Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey
  • American Board of Trial Advocates
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • Trial Law Institute
  • Diversity Law Institute

Committees

  • New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Jury Selection in Civil and Criminal Trials (2010 – 2013)

Announcements

Seminars & Events

Of Interest