John Bannon is a trial lawyer who concentrates his practice in commercial, intellectual property, reinsurance, and insurance litigation. His litigation practice is nationwide in scope, involving appearances before state and federal courts and arbitration tribunals across the country, including: Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Delaware, Texas, Ohio, Connecticut, New York, Kentucky and California. Commercial Litigation
Mr. Bannon's practice includes litigation, mediation and arbitration of commercial disputes, including trials before federal and state courts and private arbitration panels. His experience includes matters involving civil RICO, post-closing contractual disputes, employment law, environmental law and breach of fiduciary duty:
- Trial counsel for a municipality, its contractor, and a former owner indemnitor in a lawsuit seeking more than $5 million in clean-up costs for the alleged environmental contamination of leased property used as an auto pound
- Trial counsel for former owner of a manufacturing facility in a lawsuit seeking response costs for alleged soil and groundwater contamination at the facility
- Trial counsel for manufacturing client who recovered actual and punitive damages under civil RICO resulting from a long-term fraudulent scheme to underpay for scrap metal
- Trial counsel for manufacturing client in a lawsuit by a former sales representative seeking more than $4 million in actual and punitive damages for contract, statutory and fraud claims
- Trial counsel in arbitration for private equity firm which recovered $3 million in contract and fraud damages in connection with its purchase of a multi-national flower bulb company
- Trial counsel for public utility in successful defense of arbitration demand seeking damages of approximately $8 million for alleged breaches of representations and warranties in stock purchase agreement
- Trial counsel defending managing member of a real estate limited liability company in a lawsuit by the other member seeking $8 million in actual and punitive damages for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and embezzlement
- Trial counsel for reseller of aluminum processing equipment in several contract disputes against aluminum processing company arising out of the sale of equipment in a series of multi-national transactions
Intellectual Property Litigation
Mr. Bannon has an active intellectual property litigation practice. He has represented the firm's major clients in numerous patent disputes as both plaintiff and defendant. He also has significant experience in defending cases involving trade secret, trademark and licensing claims. His recent experience includes:
- Trial counsel for national manufacturer of household products in two patent infringement suits involving the same product, in the same "rocket-docket" jurisdiction
- Trial counsel for industrial manufacturer in a lawsuit by a trademark licensor alleging fraud, trademark infringement and breach of exclusive license
- Trial counsel for financial services client against claims of trade secret misappropriation and infringement of a business method patent
- Trial counsel for AT&T Wireless in a jury trial seeking as much as $4 billion in actual and punitive damages for alleged trade secret misappropriation
- Trial counsel defending manufacturer of specialized computer connectors against claims of trade secret misappropriation and patent infringement
- Trial counsel defending manufacturing company and employee against former employer's claims of trade secret misappropriation
Reinsurance And Insurance Litigation
Mr. Bannon has significant experience with a number of reinsurance arbitrations and litigations covering a variety of reinsurance issues, including rescission and reformation (for both ceding and assuming companies) and reinsurance pooling, fronting and other alternative risk transfer arrangements. His recent experience includes:
- Trial counsel defending insurance company in an arbitration seeking more than $200 million for alleged fraud and bad faith in connection with the sale of its reinsurance operations
- Trial counsel for reinsurance company in a lawsuit seeking more than $50 million for alleged fraud and bad faith in connection with reinsurance sales and alternative risk transfer transactions
- Trial counsel for insurance company in an arbitration alleging fraud and bad faith in the sale of reinsurance business
Mr. Bannon has also represented insurance companies in numerous consumer class actions. He has defended insurance companies in a number of state and national class actions which asserted challenges against auto claims handling practices, life insurance sales, coverage and claims practices.
- Trial counsel for life insurance company in consumer class action challenging certain accidental death insurance claims handling transactions
- Trial counsel for auto insurance company in consumer class action demanding payment under automobile insurance policies for any loss in value to a vehicle despite proper repairs
- Litigation counsel for auto insurance company in consumer class action challenging claims practice of adjusting claims with reference to aftermarket parts; in 2005, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the trial court judgment of more than $1 billion relying largely on the trial and pre-trial record
Electronic Discovery
Mr. Bannon is the co-chair of the firm's Electronic Discovery Committee. He is also a member of The Sedona Conference and its Working Group on electronic discovery. He routinely counsels clients (and, internally, other trial teams) on the management of electronically stored information and other electronic discovery issues.