John Durrant
Founder and Chief Executive Officer

LEGAL PRACTICE

Mr. Durrant is a former “Big Law” equity partner specializing in resolving business disputes, responding to regulatory inquiries, and providing business law advice.

Now in his 22nd year of practice, Mr. Durrant has broad experience in high-stakes litigation and trials, including securities, financial, real estate, and partnership disputes, business deadlocks, business divorces, unfair competition, trade secret matters, and class actions.  Mr. Durrant has also represented numerous clients in investigations brought by and litigation adverse to the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission and other domestic and international regulators.

Mr. Durrant has had the unusual privilege of representing both plaintiffs and defendants in class actions.

His experience includes matters in federal and state court, multidistrict litigation, and domestic and international arbitrations.

Mr. Durrant has also represented numerous business and individuals in a wide array of transactional matters, and has resolved many disputes with complex business deals.

Finally, Mr. Durrant has been lead counsel in major civil rights and civil liberties litigation, including as co-lead counsel in the Rosas v. Baca federal class action, concerning abuse and mistreatment of inmates in the Los Angeles County Jails, the largest jail system in the Country.  He has also been pro bono counsel in matters involving the rights of veterans, homeless, immigrants, and children.

photo of Los Angeles Attorney John Durrant
Los Angeles-based Attorney John Durrant

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • Representation of plaintiffs and defendants in partnership disputes, including major intra-family disputes, and matters related to the operation and management of both closely-held and publicly-traded companies.
  • Representation of multiple clients facing SEC investigations and enforcement actions.
  • Representation of clients in class actions, derivative suits, and single plaintiff actions.
  • Defense of multiple class action and individual lawsuits brought against global investment bank, arising out of the dislocation of the auction rate securities market. Allegations originally involved tens of billions of dollars in losses. The court dismissed all class action claims, a victory The American Lawyer called a “big win” and the Financial Times ranked among the year’s top 10 U.S. litigation matters in its annual “Innovative Lawyers” report.
  • Defense of J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley as lead underwriters, and the members of two underwriting syndicates (Deutsche Bank, Jefferies, JMP Securities, Piper Jaffray, Roth Capital Partners, and Stifel Nicolaus) in a securities class action.
  • Represented affiliates of IT services company now owned by Dassault Systèmes, in major international arbitration.
  • Represented global pharmaceutical company in anti-corruption investigation.
  • Represented multiple clients in real estate disputes.

HONORS & AWARDS

  • California Lawyer: Attorney of the Year (CLAY) (2013)
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers in America© in Securities Litigation (2021-2023)
  • Super Lawyers: Southern California Super Lawyer (2014-2023)
  • Martindale-Hubbell: AV Preeminent®, Peer Rated for Highest Level of Professional Excellence (2013-2023)
  • American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California’s Criminal Justice Award (2015)

PROFESSIONAL, BUSINESS & CIVIC AFFILIATIONS

  • Los Angeles County Complex Courts, Bench/Bar Committee Member (2011-2022), Co-Chair (2019-2021)
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association Litigation Section Executive Committee (2019-2022), Legislation Committee Co-Chair (2021-2022)
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Board of Governors (2015-2019) and Member (2015-2021)
  • Children’s Bureau of Southern California, Board Member and Executive Committee Member (2012-2017)
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association, Judicial Elections Evaluations Committee (2011-2014)

OTHER CAREER EXPERIENCE

  • Partner, Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp LLP (2016-2020)
  • Partner and Associate, Paul Hastings LLP (2001-2016)
  • Student Attorney, Mandel Legal Aid Clinic, University of Chicago (1999)
  • Business and Technology Writer, Cambridge Technology Partners (1996-1998)

ADMISSIONS

  • California, 2001

EDUCATION

University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 2001

University of California at Berkeley, B.A., 1996, with highest honors

John Durrant Recognized by Best Lawyers
John Durrant
Rated by Super Lawyers


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John Durrant
Rated by Super Lawyers


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