John P. Wolff III

John Wolff is a senior partner handling complex litigation, class actions and other difficult disputes, often involving life sciences, oil and gas, construction, environmental legacy and toxic tort claims. John has earned a reputation as a high-stakes courtroom lawyer, at the trial and appellate levels, representing major national corporations in trouble in Louisiana. John has been involved in most large, contentious case in Louisiana for the last 30 years, trying many to verdict and, when it is to his client's strategic advantage, settling. For example, he has successfully defended local and state agencies, public and private companies and individuals in:

• Explosions, accidents and other losses – on oil rigs, industrial locations and the like – with deaths or significant injuries, including the July 1999 explosion at the Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. plant in Gramercy, LA
• Catastrophic levee, maritime and other post-hurricane damage
• Contractual, merchant and premises liability, insurance coverage, immunity and admiralty-related disputes with exposure upwards in the hundreds of millions of dollars
• Bet-the-farm defense work involving professional malpractice and liability, faulty construction, product liability (including Chinese drywall, medical devices and pharmaceuticals) and asbestos and other toxic tort claims
• Legacy claims for environmental damage, such as the Bayou Corne sinkhole litigation
• Complex business litigation disputes

He also successfully defended the hydropower industry in a recent decision upheld by the US Supreme Court. John has represented numerous national insurance carriers and others for years in Louisiana (a direct-action state) in complex matters, showing a sophisticated understanding of multiple layers of insurance coverage and their impact at all stages of a case. In addition to being quick on his feet in front of judges and juries, John can assemble and deploy a legal team and skillfully manage big cases, with massive document discovery and Keogh Cox’s paperless management, multiple parties, joint defense, confidentiality agreements and other complexities. The team brings significant experience to handle complex medical issues to deal with a variety of cases from serious brain trauma, toxic tort life science/medical devices. John has also been a leader in the use of courtroom and case management technology, providing greater assurance to his clients and allowing for easier access, assessment, sharing, presentation and responsive communication of reports, documents, pleadings and exhibits. John is a highly-regarded leader in Louisiana's charitable and legal communities, too. He has served as a guest speaker for the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, he is a frequent speaker for the American Inns of Court and he served on the Louisiana State Bar Association's Bench and Bar Section's Ad Hoc Judiciary Committee. He also successfully mentored the first candidate in the LSBA’s Transition to Practice Pilot Program. Throughout his career, he has been active on non-profit boards, in particular those helping at-risk children.

Additional practices:

• Trial
• Appellate Practice