John Gross has more than twenty-five years of experience in securities, corporate and financial litigation, as well as in professional liability litigation and internal investigations.
John’s clients have included Fortune 100 companies, small businesses, individuals, financial institutions, national and small-town community banks, corporate directors and officers, and business owners. He has represented defendants and plaintiffs in financial fraud claims, contract disputes, business dissolutions, fiduciary duty litigation, shareholders litigation, corporate governance disputes, antitrust class actions and internal corporate investigations. He has appeared before federal and state trial and appellate courts, in administrative proceedings, in arbitrations and mediations, and before various federal agencies. John also provides compliance advice and counseling in securities, antitrust and fiduciary duty matters.
John has served as outside general counsel for multiple clients and as inside general counsel for two law firms. He managed outside counsel in litigation matters, supervised and expanded compliance and risk management processes, and counseled managers and professionals on their legal and ethical duties.
John was raised in the college town of Bloomington, Indiana, where he attended Indiana University, graduating with Highest Distinction. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School. John began his career with a global New York law firm known for its commercial law practice and its impact on international affairs, and then joined a renowned Atlanta-based law firm, where he was a partner for many years.
John and his wife live in Atlanta, where they raised three daughters, all now adults. Nowadays, John enjoys caring for their two dogs, two parrots, one finch, and a tortoise named Terry. John is an occasional mountain biker, whose enthusiasm usually exceeds his skill.
Practice Highlights
John’s recent work has included:
- Obtaining a multi-million dollar recovery for a client forced out of the business he co-founded
- The successful defense of an individual client against an investor’s claims of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty
- Defending a financial industry firm against whistleblower claims alleging breach of federal securities laws
- Leading a twenty-lawyer internal investigation into financial integrity and reporting issues for the Audit Committee of an NYSE company
John’s previous work has included:
- Successfully defending a client at arbitration against a $40 million claim for alleged breach of representations and warranties in connection with claimant’s acquisition of a business
- Successfully representing a major airline in claims brought by a former vendor against conversion claims in state court and against subsequent copyright claims in federal court
- The successful defense, at trial, of a consortium of major banks against breach-of-contract claims involving the unconsummated sale of a $60 million portfolio of loans
- The successful defense of an acquirer in an $8 billion corporate acquisition against 18 shareholder suits seeking to enjoin the transaction
- Representation of one of the nation’s largest pension funds in the federal appeal of a case involving the duties of fiduciaries in the mortgage-backed securities market
Education
- J.D., Yale Law School
- B.A. with Highest Distinction, Indiana University
Bar Admissions
- Georgia
- New York
Court Admissions
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
- Supreme Court of Georgia
Rankings and Recognition
- Georgia Super Lawyers, Multiple Years
- Georgia Trend Legal Elite, Multiple Years
- Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
- Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
Speaking
John frequently speaks at business conferences and continuing legal education seminars. His recent speaking engagements have included:
- “Avoiding Ethical Traps: Multiple Party Representation,” National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education Webcast, July 6, 2021
- “Ethics of Attorney Email Use,” National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education Webcast, January 31, 2020
- “Maintaining Ethics in Business Law,” National Business Institute Continuing Legal Education Seminar, December 19, 2019
- “The Key to the Money: Engagement Agreements, Fee Structures and Best Practices,” BESLA Conference, November 7, 2019