John P. Wolff III

Senior Partner
701 Main Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

M 225 383 3796

F 225 343 9612

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

Representative Experience

  • Obtained U.S. appellate court ruling, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court that found FERC preemption of state law claims for the hydropower industry.
  • Secured a permanent injunction, upheld by the Louisiana Supreme Court, prohibiting CRNAs from expanding their scope of practice to include interventional pain procedures.
  • Handled numerous cases involving products in an industrial setting.
  • Obtained many summary judgments in favor of medical device manufacturers.
  • Numerous class action cases.
  • Significant jury trials and appeals.

Professional Affiliations

  • Member, East Baton Rouge Parish
  • Member, Louisiana State Bar Association
    • Environmental Section, Member
    • Bench and Bar Section's, Ad Hoc Judiciary Committee
    • Transition into Practice Program
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
  • Member, East Baton Rouge Bar Association
  • Member, Defense Research Institute
  • Member, U. S. District Court, Fifth Circuit, Bar Association
  • Member, All State And Federal Courts In Louisiana
  • Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, Guest Speaker
  • Member, Dean Henry George McMahon Inns of Court

Honors & Awards

  • SuperLawyer in field of Civil Litigation – 2022
  • American’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators - 2022
  • Judicial Edition, AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell – “Highest Possible Rating in Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards, Reflecting the Confidential Opinions of Members of the Bar and Judiciary” - 2015
  • Top Lawyers in Louisiana, American Lawyer Media – 2013
  • AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell – 2011
  • Peace Maker Award, Brown & Brown -- 2007

Community Involvement

  • Board of Directors, Baton Rouge Epicurean Society (BRES)
  • Former Board Member, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge
  • Former Human Resource Chairman, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge

Recent Continuing Legal Education Presentations

  • Dean Henry George McMachon Inns of Court Panel Presentation:  Attorneys at the Movies:  Public Perceptions of the Legal Profession
  • Dean Henry George McMahon Inns of Court Panel Presentation:  Tricks & Treats of the Trade:  Professionalism in Depositions
  • Dean Henry George McMahon Inns of Court Panel Presentation: “What is ‘over the line’ and what is not in discovery and settlement negotiations”
  • Dean Henry George McMahon Inns of Court Panel Presentation: “Professionalism in Discovery – Responding to Discovery Abuse”

Education

  • J.D., Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center
  • B.A., University of Southwestern Louisiana – Cum Laude

Admissions

  • Louisiana, 1984
  • Texas, 1995
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 2014
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2013
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 2013
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, 1987
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, 1985
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, 1986
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1984

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