John Grady
John Grady has more than 19 years of commercial litigation experience. John’s practice involves a broad range of complex business and tort litigation at the trial and appellate level in federal and state courts involving, among other things, claims for breach of contract, business fraud, deceptive business practices, real estate litigation, insurance coverage, and shareholder, director and officer liability. John has tried many cases to verdict in federal and state courts, including a six-week jury trial in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. In addition, John’s practice involves a proactive “preventive law” approach that helps businesses eliminate legal risks before they turn into costly and time-consuming legal problems.
Recent Representative Cases
- Obtained a defense verdict in a 2015 federal jury trial, defeating claims for breach of a commercial contract and to pierce the veil of the corporate defendant.
- Dismissed all claims against a CEO who was accused of fiduciary breaches arising out of strategic investment and development decisions that allegedly caused the failure of the company.
- Obtained a court ruling that voided clients' non-competition agreements and enabled them to start a competing business in a highly competitive industry.
- Successfully defended a $10 million claim for breach of fiduciary duty against banking executive. The case settled for $0, and the FDIC agreed to impose no financial penalty, after depositions and documents obtained through discovery undermined the bank’s claims.
- Obtained a $400 million judgment against a national real estate developer based on a loan default and a personal guaranty.
- Secured a judgment against a company on behalf of a CEO for unpaid salary, benefits and expenses, and then enforced the judgment through a sheriff’s sale that transferred all assets of the company to the CEO.
- Successfully represented a 50% shareholder in a lawsuit brought by the other 50% shareholder to remove the client as president of the company. A favorable settlement resulted in the client remaining as president and becoming 100% shareholder.
- Enforced a retired CEO’s rights to receive over $1.5 million under a stock redemption and successfully opposed the company’s attempt to discount the amount due to alleged fiduciary breaches.
- Defeated an insurance company’s attempt to charge a company $300,000 in additional workers’ compensation premiums by appealing to the Illinois Department of Insurance and proving at trial that the client’s workers were independent contractors and not employees.
- Negotiated the dismissal of all claims against an investor who allegedly received an excessive payout from a fund to the detriment of other investors. The case settled with the client paying $0.
Professional Activities
- Faculty, PLI’s Federal Civil Practice Update, October 2012.
- Faculty, PLI’s Taking and Defending Depositions, June 2012.
- Faculty, PLI’s Federal Civil Practice Update, October 2010.
- Faculty, PLI’s Federal Civil Practice Update, October 2009.
- Faculty, PLI’s Federal Civil Practice Update, October 2008.
Education
- Northwestern University School of Law (J.D., 1996)
- University of Iowa (B.A., 1992 cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa)
Bar Admissions
- State of Illinois
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois