John Thomas Goodwin

• Represents Madison Square Garden in its defense of a widely-covered lawsuit filed by former Knicks player Charles Oakley in connection with his ejection from the Garden in 2017.
• Represents Skillz Platform, Inc. in a false advertising action against a competitor relating to the use of “bots” or algorithms in mobile games.
• Successfully defended Capital One from a putative class action concerning the transfer of Capital One's individual retirement account portfolio to Inspira Financial
• Represented a major financial institution in arbitration proceedings, including a five-day trial, seeking more than $500 million of damages against a contractual counterparty
• Represented two hedge funds in an expedited nine-witness trial in Delaware Court of Chancery over a disputed multi-billion dollar stock authorization by a public company
• Represented a depositary institution in winning an eight-figure judgement in New York state court against a group of defaulted borrowers; obtained preliminary and permanent injunctions prohibiting the borrowers from transferring collateral intended to secure the disputed loans
• Represented a medical technology company in a successful petition for pre-action discovery in New York state court into the identity of individuals waging an anonymous campaign of online defamation
• Represented an investment bank in a Third Circuit appeal of a closely watched indemnification lawsuit; obtained affirmance of lower court victory
• Represented a national insurance provider in federal litigation against the California Department of Insurance contesting a conservation order
• Represented a major financial institution in a set of antitrust class actions alleging manipulation of the price of precious metals
• Represented a hedge fund in a Delaware adversary bankruptcy proceeding and trial against a media company debtor
• Represented a group of market insurers in New York state court litigation stemming from the bankruptcy of a foreign oil refinery
• Represented an investment bank and several of its former employees in litigation and arbitration involving equity swap transactions
• Advised corporate boards and activist shareholders on litigation strategy in connection with governance disputes and activism campaigns
• Represented various clients in external investigations by the New York Attorney General, DOJ, FINRA, and other government agencies

John Goodwin represents companies and their executives when a commercial dispute threatens revenue, reputation, or control of the business. He handles breach of contract and securities claims, shareholder and corporate governance disputes, defamation and media matters, and regulatory investigations for clients in the financial services, sports, gaming, and entertainment industries. He has litigated on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants in state court, federal court, and arbitration.

John's recent work centers on disputes where the commercial stakes and the reputational stakes are hard to separate: a competitor whose advantage rests on claims that do not hold up, an incident that becomes a news story before it becomes a lawsuit, a governance fight that plays out in public. When a matter draws press attention or regulatory interest, the legal strategy and the public posture have the be developed together. Clients come to John when they cannot afford to get either one wrong.

Financial institutions retain him for contract and securities disputes where the value is high and the timeline is short; for defense of putative class actions; and for governance fights brought by boards and activist shareholders alike. He also represents financial services clients in investigations by the New York Attorney General, the DOJ, and FINRA.

In sports, gaming, and entertainment, John's work runs in both directions. He defends venues and organizations against claims that draw sustained public attention, and he brings affirmative cases for clients whose business or reputation has been damaged.