John is an Officer in PennStuart’s Bristol, Tennessee office and is a member of the firm’s Workers’ Compensation and Outside General Counsel practice groups. He also serves on the firm’s Management Committee. John has a strong interest in small business development in the Tri-Cities region and currently serves as counsel to the Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator, an economic development facility created by the Town of Abingdon and Washington County, Virginia.
John’s practice is focused largely on the defense of workers’ compensation claims and employment law matters on behalf of employers and insurers in Virginia and Tennessee. As a trial attorney with more than 26 years of experience, he regularly advises insurance claims representatives, human resources managers, and employers on complex issues of liability and exposure. He has extensive experience trying cases before the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission, the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
John’s employment practice includes matters related to workplace harassment, medical leave, wages and overtime, workplace disabilities and accommodation, and employment contract disputes. John also represents employees in complex employment matters and plaintiffs in personal injury claims as well as general litigation matters. John has been a frequent presenter on matters related to his areas of practice and interests.
Prior to joining PennStuart, John served as County Attorney for Washington County, Virginia and was a partner in the law firm of Ely and Martin. John served in the United States Army as an Intelligence Analyst and was later deployed to Saudi Arabia in Operation Desert Storm.
