A native of St. Joseph, Missouri, John graduated from Central High School in 1986. He attended college at Missouri Western State University, graduating magna cum laude with a B.A. in History in 1990. The History Department named him the Outstanding Graduating Senior in History. While attending law school at Mizzou, he served as a Note and Comment Editor for the Journal of Dispute Resolution and was honored with admission to the Order of the Barristers.
After graduating from law school in 1993, John worked for a small litigation firm in St. Charles County, Missouri where he handled personal injury cases, worker’s compensation claims, and represented individuals charged with criminal offenses. From 1998 until 2023, he was in private practice handling a wide variety of cases throughout Northwest Missouri. Having represented clients in more than 25 counties throughout Missouri, John has been involved in high stakes litigation including serious personal injury claims, termination of parental rights, contentious custody battles, and the defense of individuals potentially facing decades in prison. John has represented employees on claims for worker’s compensation against some of the largest employers in the state, including TWA, General Motors, Ford, McDonnell Douglas, and Triumph Foods. He is also a graduate of the prestigious Trial Lawyers College sponsored by the American Trial Lawyers Association.
At Patton Wagner, John handles cases involving family law, criminal and civil litigation, worker’s compensation, and driver’s license issues. He is married and has two children, four cats (according to the most recent census) and a dog. In his spare time he coaches youth baseball in the Northland, enjoys fishing for smallmouth bass in the Ozarks, and reading just about anything he can get his hands on.
