John M. Hughes
Professional Practice
Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP, 2006-Present, Partner (since 2010)
Electro-Coatings of Iowa, Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA
President & General Manager (2000-2001); Plant Manager (1996-1999)
Cases tried or otherwise taken to judgment
Meins v. Bayer, et al. (Arkansas Circuit Court, Arkansas County)
Second chair in a four week trial concerning the presence of genetically modified rice in the U.S. long-grain rice supply.
City of Milwaukee v. NL Industries (Circuit Court of Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Member of the trial team that represented NL in jury trial to declare lead paint throughout Milwaukee to be a public nuisance and to hold NL liable for costs of the city’s childhood lead poisoning program. NL, the former National Lead Company, was alleged to have been the largest U.S. producer of lead pigment in the 20th century. Complete defense verdict for NL in May-June 2007.
City of Milwaukee v. NL Industries (Wisconsin Court of Appeals)
Briefed and argued NL’s defense of the jury’s verdict before the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. In November 2008 the Court affirmed the verdict, finding that “the evidence reflected that the nuisance was unknown to NL Industries until after its conduct had ceased.”
In Re Teflon® Products Liability Litigation (United States District Court, Southern District of Iowa)
Counsel for DuPont in more than 15 alleged intrastate class actions brought on behalf of consumers who purchased Teflon®-coated cookware. The cases have been consolidated for pretrial proceedings pursuant to an order of the panel on multidistrict litigation. The district court denied plaintiffs’ motion to certify a class action.
Other representative cases
Texas v. United States (District Court for the District of Columbia)
Trial counsel for Texas in a case arising under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.
In Re Genetically Modified Rice Litigation (United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri)
National trial counsel for Bayer CropScience LP in multi-district and state court litigation concerning the alleged presence of genetically engineered rice in commercial rice shipments.
In Re Metropolitan Securities Litigation (United States District Court, Eastern District of Washington)
Representing Ernst & Young in federal securities class action concerning the collapse of Metropolitan Mortgage & Securities Co., a $2 billion investment, real estate and insurance conglomerate. Plaintiffs’ allege accountants’ negligence relating to audit work.
Tandberg Data Corp. v. Hewlett-Packard Company (U.S. District Court, Colorado)
Represented defendant and counterclaim plaintiff HP in patent infringement action relating to data storage technology. Action settled prior to trial.
Data Network Storage Corp. v. Hewlett-Packard Company (United States District Court, Northern District of Texas)
Represented HP in a patent infringement action relating to data storage technology. Action settled prior to trial.
Edge Capture v. Citadel Investment Group (United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois)
Represented Citadel in patent infringement matter involving patents related to automated trading systems in electronic exchanges. Case settled before trial.