John Clarke is the previous chair of the firm's corporate and securities litigation practice and has several decades of experience leading the defense of complex disputes involving securities, merger transactions, trust indentures, structured transactions, and stockholder derivative, bankruptcy, and fraudulent transfer claims. He has appeared for clients as lead counsel in federal and state courts across the nation, including the US Court of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fifth, Seventh, Eleventh, and DC Circuits, the Delaware Court of Chancery, and the Supreme Court of Delaware.
John has been recognized for securities litigation by both Chambers USA and The Legal 500 United States. Clients say he is a "true expert in securities" who "is knowledgeable, strategic, and thinks outside of the box" and is "smart, creative and meticulous in his approach." They also say he is "a very strong litigator" who is "great on his feet in the courtroom and an excellent writer."
The knowledge and experience John gained in financial institution litigation following the global financial crisis led to his service as chairman of the Banking Law Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, where he led the Committee's advocacy work as amicus curiae and in legislative and regulatory comment letters.