John Hagan is a seasoned trial lawyer with extensive trial experience, including as lead trial counsel, for Fortune 100 companies and smaller entities alike. Mr. Hagan has tried numerous jury and bench trials in federal and state courts throughout the United States and has also handled a sizable number of domestic and international arbitrations. Mr. Hagan's matters have been featured in several leading legal publications, including The American Lawyer, The National Law Journal, Corporate Counsel Magazine, and Law360.
Mr. Hagan represents companies in a diverse array of industries, including the manufacturing, transportation, and banking and financial industries, among others. Mr. Hagan's practice areas are similarly diverse and include complex commercial litigation, bankruptcy litigation, class actions, franchise and distribution counseling and litigation, lender liability and financial services litigation, trade secret litigation, ERISA litigation, and litigation relating to hedge funds.
In recent years, Mr. Hagan has focused part of his practice on prosecuting (and, if necessary, trying) various breach of contract and breach of warranty cases arising under Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Those matters often involve complex engineering-related evidence and have resulted in sizable recoveries for our clients.
Experience
- Trial counsel defending IPSOS, a leading European commercial copy-testing and polling company, in $150 million fraud and trade secret case brought by its principal US competitor. The month-long federal court trial in plaintiff's hometown resulted in a complete defense verdict that the National Law Journal heralded as one of the "Top Ten Defense Verdicts of the Year." The Seventh Circuit affirmed.
- Lead trial counsel recovering $27 million for locomotive manufacturer following a five-week trial against a leading supplier that manufactured defective traction motor parts.
- Lead trial counsel successfully defending GE Capital subsidiary in Colorado federal court (and arbitration) against a $30 million lender liability claim brought by several electronic resellers throughout the Southwestern United States. Complete defense win following trial.
- Lead trial counsel for United Airlines in preliminary injunction trial arising from an ERISA class action lawsuit. Court ruled in United's favor and rejected plaintiffs' request to freeze a $150+ million distribution of convertible notes pending the outcome of the class action litigation. Plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the case following United's trial win.
- Lead counsel defending Honeywell in $25+ million breach of contract suit brought by Adlink Technology in Delaware federal court relating to the manufacture of rugged mounted computers. Court dismissed 99% of damages sought as a matter of law.
- Lead trial counsel defending locomotive manufacturer from breach of contract claims relating to whether an exclusive supply agreement covered a new locomotive component part. Case settled on favorable terms in the middle of two-week trial.
- Lead trial counsel for Tower Automotive, a leading Michigan automotive supply company, seeking $200 million in wage and benefit concessions. Following a week-long bench trial closely followed in the Detroit media—and just prior to the Court issuing its ruling—Tower consensually obtained all of the labor cost reductions it had sought at trial. The Court approved that settlement and no appeal was taken.
- Trial counsel for BMW of North America in federal court preliminary injunction trial where plaintiffs sought to halt BMWNA's plans to reintroduce the MINI Cooper in the United States. The Court denied all of the relief sought and found no evidence that BMWNA violated state automobile dealer laws.
- Lead counsel for Honeywell in a series of trademark infringement matters focused on aggressively protecting the valuable Honeywell mark and brand from misuse.
- Trial counsel for United Airlines in high-profile bench trial seeking to set aside several of the company's collective bargaining agreements under Section 1113 of the Bankruptcy Code. The lengthy trial, covered by both national and local news outlets, resulted in a consensual resolution that: (i) achieved all of the relief United sought at trial; and (ii) paved the way for United's successful emergence from Chapter 11.
- Trial counsel for BMW of North America in a five-week trial successfully defending the company's national vehicle allocation system for BMW vehicles against claims BMWNA's system violated Illinois state law.
- Lead trial counsel for Rolls Royce of North America in preliminary injunction trial successfully restraining the unauthorized use of various Rolls Royce trademarks.
Perspectives
Credentials
Education
- J.D., New York University School of Law
- B.A., University of Chicago, Phi Beta Kappa, Student Marshal
Admissions
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit