John L. Watkins

Shareholder

Publications & Presentations

John L. Watkins has practiced law since 1982. John graduated first in his class at the University of Georgia law school in 1982, where he received an academic scholarship, was a member of the Georgia Law Review Editorial Board, and received numerous academic awards, including the Order of the Coif. While in law school, John also worked as a teaching assistant and research assistant in the School of Business. John received his undergraduate degree from Mercer University, where he was on the debate team and received a first round bid to the National Debate Tournament.

Prior to joining Chorey, Taylor & Feil, John was a partner of McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, a large international firm, where he practiced for over twenty years. Prior to McKenna Long, John practiced at Hansell & Post, which is now the Atlanta office of Jones, Day.

John was named one of Georgia's top attorneys in business litigation in Georgia Super Lawyers, published by the Journal of Law and Politics, and Atlanta Magazine. John is rated "AV" by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, its highest rating.

John's commercial litigation practice currently concentrates on matters involving unfair competition (including trade secret, trade dress, false advertising, and computer-related claims), insurance coverage and bad faith, and products, particularly industrial machinery and equipment. John also has extensive experience in handling construction claims and catastrophic personal injury and death claims and product liability claims. In addition to handling matters in court, John handles matters in arbitration, has tried several arbitration matters successfully to final award, and has written regarding arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.

John's recent cases include:

Brought unfair competition case (including Lanham Act, Georgia Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Georgia Trade Secrets Act, Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Claim Act, Georgia Computer Systems Protection Act, and common law claims) on behalf of machinery distributor against competitor, resulting in settlement and Final Judgment and Consent Injunction against competitor.
Brought claim on behalf of licensee of patent and other intellectual property rights against manufacturer resulting in settlement confirming and securing rights.
Coordinated insurance recovery efforts on behalf of professional services firm on claims arising out of engineering and construction project;
Defended claim against insurer under Florida's Coblentz doctrine and for bad faith brought as a class action; achieved mediated class settlement subsequently approved by District Court.
Obtained summary judgment on behalf of policyholder in insurance coverage claim involving "additional insured" issues.
Litigated enforcement of arbitration provisions on behalf of marketers, obtaining enforcement of arbitration provisions in Florida state court, which was subsequently affirmed by District Court of Appeal.
Obtained judgment in favor of policyholder on claim involving business risk coverage for apartment complex damaged in storm; judgment subsequently affirmed by Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Monitored cases being handled by defense counsel assigned by insurers both on behalf of insurers and policyholders.

Another focus of John's law practice is assisting "in bound" international companies in doing business in the United States. He was a featured speaker at seminars on U.S. product liability law and risk management in Munich, Germany, sponsored by the Munich and Upper Bavaria IHK (International Chamber of Commerce) in 2006 and 2007. He has also given seminars on product liability and risk management for the German American Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta. John has extensive experience in explaining the U.S. legal system to Europeans, and has also given private presentations in Europe on various aspects of the U.S. legal system.

John has worked with European and domestic manufacturers and distributors in assessing and attempting to minimize their litigation risks and product liability risks in the United States, including drafting and review of international equipment supply contracts, confidentiality agreements, and dispute resolution provisions. John's recent work in this area includes:

Developing standard terms and conditions, including negotiating and drafting particular terms and conditions for sales between manufacturers and their largest customers.
Negotiation and preparation of confidentiality (or non-disclosure) agreements for manufacturers and customers for contemplated and actual business transactions.
Negotiation and drafting of equipment supply contracts for projects in the United States and Canada.

John is also a registered mediator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, and is available to act as a mediator for disputes within his areas of expertise. He has written and spoken extensively on mediation and arbitration.

John has a website regarding mediation, www.watkinsmediation.com, which contains articles about the mediation process and issues in mediation. All of John's mediations are conducted by engaging John through Chorey, Taylor & Feil.

Practice Areas

Education

University of Georgia, J.D., summa cum laude (1982)
Mercer University, B.A. (1979)

Bar and Court Admissions

Georgia
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
United States District Court for the District of Colorado

Professional Affiliations

Bleckley Inn of Court (Master)
Atlanta Bar Association (Board of Directors, Construction Section)
Lawyers Club of Atlanta
Lumpkin Society, University of Georgia School of Law