John M. Robinson

Partner Litigation

Chicago +1 312 862 1207

Overview

John is a fiercely intelligent lawyer who is extremely capable, thoughtful, and responsive and repeatedly delivers in pressure situations. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give him is that he always appears to be thinking about my matters and makes me feel like the most important client in the world.” - Client

John Robinson is a litigation partner in Kirkland's Chicago office. His practice focuses on high-stakes commercial litigation at the trial and appellate levels and internal investigations.

John has substantial trial experience. He has spent well over four months at trial or in evidentiary hearings in approximately a dozen cases. As trial counsel, John has successfully represented clients in a variety of forums, including federal and state jury trials, private arbitrations, and TRO/PI proceedings. John has examined or cross-examined numerous fact and expert witnesses at trial and successfully argued critical evidentiary issues.

Outside the courtroom, John has represented clients and overseen cases in a wide range of civil matters, including multibillion dollar cross-border disputes requiring teams of more than 20 attorneys. Those matters have involved contract, tort, fraud, intellectual property, employment, antitrust, insurance, constitutional and regulatory disputes.

John is particularly experienced in trade secret and employee mobility matters. He teaches the Trade Secret Seminar at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, and is frequently invited to speak on emerging issues regarding trade secrets and restrictive covenants. John has represented numerous clients – as plaintiffs and defendants – in trade secret and employee mobility matters spanning a variety of commercial and high-tech industries, including medical device development, diagnostic testing, artificial intelligence, data collection and utilization, market-making, equipment sales, financial services and trading, and software development.

John also has significant experience in private equity litigation. He has successfully represented multiple private equity clients and portfolio companies in confidential high-stakes arbitrations, and he has been invited to speak as a guest lecturer on private equity litigation topics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

In addition, John has briefed more than a dozen cases in the state and federal appellate courts, where he and his teams have prevailed in every case that has gone to a decision. As part of his pro bono practice, John successfully briefed and argued a constitutional rights appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, winning a unanimous reversal of summary judgment for a physical assault victim. John has also managed complex internal investigations on behalf of several clients facing inquiries from the DOJ, SEC, and domestic and international regulators.

Since 2020, John has taught State Constitutional Law at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, which he proposed and has co-taught on several occasions with the Honorable Jeffrey S. Sutton (Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit).

Prior to joining Kirkland, John was involved in the following matters:

Trials

  • Trial counsel for a leading private equity firm in a confidential three-week arbitration involving competing breach of contract claims in a franchise dispute. Won a multi-million dollar judgment.
  • Trial counsel for an innovative medical device manufacturer in a plaintiff-side case asserting trade secret and breach of contract claims against a former distributor. Won a preliminary injunction after a nine-day hearing and settled favorably on the eve of trial. 
  • Trial counsel for a start-up aerospace development company in a plaintiff-side case asserting breach of contract claims against its most significant business partner. Won a jury verdict on liability and settled favorably before the damages trial. 
  • Trial counsel for a major automotive manufacturer in a defense-side case involving claims of fraud and defective engine design. Won a complete defense jury verdict. 
  • Trial counsel for the newly-hired president of a fast-growing medical diagnostics company in a defense-side case involving claims of unlawful solicitation of his former company’s employees. Defeated a motion for TRO after an evidentiary hearing before settling favorably.
  • Trial counsel for a leading private equity firm in a confidential dispute involving the breakup of the firm’s partnership. Settled favorably after presenting our case-in-chief during a five-day arbitration. 
  • Trial counsel for a large food and beverage company in a defense-side case involving claims of trademark infringement. Successfully reduced plaintiff’s damages claim by over 90% after a three-week jury trial.  
  • Trial counsel for an industry-leading market maker in a plaintiff-side case asserting trade secret claims against a competitor in a multi-day PI hearing.

Significant Litigation

  • Represented a Fortune 500 professional services firm and its affiliates in connection with a multi-billion dollar cross-border reinsurance fraud scheme overseeing the clients’ legal defense and case-resolution strategy. 
  • Represented an innovative medical diagnostics company in resolving a multi-billion dollar breach of contract and trade secret dispute with a business partner. 
  • Represented the founder of an NYSE-listed AI company in his departure as CEO and Chairman of the Board.
  • Represented a start-up music technology company in a plaintiff-side antitrust case against a significant business partner.

Appeals

  • Briefed and argued a federal Seventh Circuit appeal from summary judgment of a prisoner’s Section 1983 claim alleging constitutionally deficient medical care. Won a unanimous reversal in a precedential opinion.
  • Briefed a federal Seventh Circuit appeal defending the trial court’s grant of a preliminary injunction barring our adversary’s competing product from the market worldwide. Won a complete affirmance. 
  • Briefed an Indiana Supreme Court appeal defending the trial court’s denial of post-judgment interest on a judgment lost by the client’s prior firm. Won a complete affirmance. 
  • Briefed a federal Ninth Circuit appeal from the trial court’s summary judgment of plaintiff’s class and individual claims in a class action. Won a substantial affirmance.

Investigations

  • Conducted an internal investigation to discover any involvement our client’s employees may have had in a global reinsurance fraud scheme perpetrated by a third-party in resolving domestic and international regulatory inquiries. 
  • Ran an internal investigation into alleged perjury during a trial overseen by the client’s prior firm and successfully advised the client on how to avoid charges.
  • Ran an internal investigation into alleged accounting fraud by our client’s founder in assisting the client in responding to an SEC inquiry. 

Judicial ClerkHonorable Thomas M. HardimanUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit2015–2016

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

Jones Day

More

Thought Leadership

Speaking Engagements

“Strategies for Non-Compete and Trade Secret Matters,” TransPerfect Legal CLE Series, April, 2024

“Private Equity Litigation: What to Expect and How to Prepare,” the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, May, 2023

“Intellectual Property and the Creative Arts,” Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Intellectual Property Law Society, March, 2018

Publications

Co-Author, “The Past and Uncertain Future of Quill and the Physical Presence Requirement,” Bloomberg BNA: Tax Management Weekly State Tax Report, June 5, 2015

Author, Note, “Neither ‘Ministerial’ Nor An ‘Exception’: The Ministerial Exception in Light of Hosanna-Tabor,” Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, vol. 37, 2014

Co-Author, “Hosanna-Tabor, Religious Freedom, and the Constitutional Structure,” Cato Supreme Court Review, 2012

Memberships & Affiliations

Adjunct Professor, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law

  • Trade Secret Seminar, 2024–Present
  • State Constitutional Law, 2020–2024

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2014Illinois

Education

  • Harvard Law SchoolJ.D.cum laude2014
    Executive Editor, Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy
  • Loyola University ChicagoB.A., Political Science & Historymagna cum laude2007