Biography

John is involved in two practice areas at Metz Lewis. He is the co-chair of the banking group, with work in commercial loan documentation, creditor's rights, workouts and bankruptcy, and he is also involved in commercial and business litigation. He provides counsel to clients from the financial, banking, business and real estate sectors in diverse matters.

An experienced commercial civil litigator, John represents financial institutions, businesses, and individuals as both plaintiffs and defendants in commercial, bankruptcy, construction, and employment matters, including breach of contract claims, real estate matters, shareholder rights and disputes, covenants not to compete, employment rights issues, banking, and bankruptcy claims.

Additionally, John has represented a wide range of businesses and individuals including developers, lessors, lessees, property managers and lenders in a variety of real estate lending, acquisition, sales, leasing, development and construction matters. His representation has included negotiation, documentation, closing of purchase, sale or lease as well as construction and claim litigation.

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Representative Matters

• Successfully defended a regional banking institution in a multi-million dollar 
lender liability lawsuit stemming from an 18 year lending relationship, which also 
included several hundred consumer claims and lawsuits against the regional 
bank for its participation in its borrower's direct and indirect consumer lending 
involving multiple sale, lease and licensing of two multi-use real estate facilities.
• Represented a foreign bank and regional bank agent in a $27 million workout, 
collecting all money due, including interest and attorneys' fees, by aggressive 
participation in insolvency proceedings in Toronto, Canada, the related proceedings 
of a U.S. affiliate in the Middle District of Florida and the state court receivership, 
involuntary and voluntary bankruptcy proceedings of a U.S. affiliate in the 
Western District of Pennsylvania.
• Represented a Japanese corporation in state court liquidation, dissolution and
receivership proceedings for a subsidiary having a manufacturing and product 
development facility in Western Pennsylvania.
• Successfully tried multi-million dollar bankruptcy nondischargeability case in the 
Northern District of Ohio.
• Represented a variety of secured creditors in multitude of workout, prosecution 
and defense of state and federal court litigation, state and federal court receiverships
and bankruptcy adversary, reorganization and liquidation cases.
• Represented majority and minority partners and corporate shareholders in 
partner and/or shareholder disputes in state and federal litigation.
• Acted as Commonwealth of Pennsylvania statewide counsel to the Resolution 
Trust Corporation handling all Pennsylvania commercial real estate sales, 
which involved participating in the preparation of seller finance documents, 
representation at annual northeast real estate auctions and handling each 
property closing, including all  title, financing and disbursement issues and 
frequent dealings with national counsel to a national title company.

Professional Affiliations

• Pennsylvania Bar Association
• Allegheny County Bar Association
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• Recognized as an AV® rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell peer review
• Named as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer by Philadelphia Magazine 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011

Background

• 2001  Metz Lewis Brodman Must O'Keefe LLC
             
  Member of the Executive Committee
             
  Co-Chairman, Commercial Lending, Creditor's Rights, Workout and Bankruptcy Group