John Spencer Worden is a trial lawyer. He has tried dozens of cases for plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts and in front of judges, juries, and binding arbitration panels. To date, he has won 25 of the last 27 cases he has tried. Although most of his trials have been on the defense, John has four 7-and 8-figure plaintiffs verdicts.
He practices throughout the U.S. and, in addition to substantial work in California (he is the leader of the firm’s litigation practice group in San Francisco) and elsewhere, he heads the firm’s Nevada practice (where he has tried—and won—six cases to verdict). John joined what is now Schiff Hardin’s San Francisco office in 1989. He served as the San Francisco predecessor’s managing partner.
John is one of the youngest elected members of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an invitation-only organization whose elected members include the nation’s most experienced and respected trial lawyers. He was similarly elected to The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC). For the past seven years, John has been chair of the San Francisco Bar Association’s (BASF) Arbitration Section.
In 2015, John was named the BASF Lawyer of the Year. For the past three years, California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye presented John with the BASF Volunteer of the Year award for his work with their pro bono and diversity programs.
In his spare time, John is a black belt kung fu instructor, having received multiple golds at the National Kung Fu Championships in Baltimore. He was also a silver medalist at the 2003 World Kung Fu Championship in São Pablo Brazil.
EXPERIENCE:
Trial Practice
John has tried cases in every one of the following areas:
- Commercial
- Construction
- Contract
- Environmental
- Finance
- FINRA
- Insurance
- Labor and Employment
- Personal Injury (plaintiff and defense)
- Real Estate
- Reinsurance
- Securities
- Wrongful Death
EDUCATION:
- Seattle University School of Law, J.D., 1989
- Seattle University, B.A., 1986
BAR ADMISSIONS:
- California
- Nevada
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), San Francisco Chapter
- The Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Diversity and Membership Committee
- Bar Association of San Francisco, Board of Directors (2014-Present), Barristers Club, Board of Directors
- Bar Association of San Francisco, Litigation/Arbitration Section, Chair (2011-Present)
- Bar Association of San Francisco, Antitrust and Securities Litigation Section, Past Chair
- Bar Association of San Francisco, Justice & Diversity Center, Director (2011-2013)
CIVIC AND CHARITABLE MEMBERSHIPS:
- Arbitrator, San Francisco Superior Court
- Lafayette Police Commission, Lafayette, California
Cost
Rate : $$$