John C. Adams

John Adams is a trial partner in the Dallas office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. John has significant experience in all phases of litigation, from pre-suit strategy to trials and appeals. His experience spans numerous industries, including oil and gas, real estate, and technology. For example, he has successfully litigated cases involving asset purchase agreements; partnership disputes; executive compensation; trade secrets; non-compete agreements; natural gas gathering agreements; mineral leases; receiverships; securities; and class actions. John is recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for his work in Commercial Litigation from 2021-2024, and is named in D Magazines 2023 Best Lawyers Under 40 list. Before joining Gibson, Dunn Crutcher, John worked at a Chambers-ranked litigation boutique in Dallas, served as a law clerk for the United States District Court in the Western District of Texas, and worked for the preeminent legal writer, Bryan Garner. REPRESENTATIVE CASES Represented a Dallas real-estate developer in a two-week jury trial based on claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and civil theft in a closely held partnership where the clients partner mismanaged the business and failed to account for millions in profits. Top Verdict 2019. Represented a national manufacturing and sales organization in a two-week jury trial based on claims of misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty when former employees joined a competing business and unlawfully diverted the clients customers to the competitor. Represented nationally recognized real-estate developers in bench trial based on claims for breach of contract arising out of guaranty agreements for a multi-million dollar hotel development project on Lake Tahoe. Represented a national pipeline company in a preliminary injunction after it invested over $100 million to develop a gathering system and an upstream natural gas producer threatened to violate a dedicated area of mutual interest. Represented a national pipeline company in a temporary restraining order when an upstream natural gas producer threatened to divert approximately $1 billion of natural gas to a competing pipeline. Represented an international distribution company in a temporary injunction when a former joint-venture partner solicited customers, while defending against claims of trademark infringement. Represented a national manufacturing and sales organization in a temporary restraining order when a former employee breached his contract by joining a competing company and threatened to disclose trade secrets. PUBLICATIONS: Give the Jury What it Wants--Decision Making in Trial Practice, ABA Litigation Journal How to tell Your Story at Trial, Dallas Bar Journal Tips for a Better Direct Examination, Dallas Bar Journal Protecting Information Provided to the Government, ABA Corporate Counsel Journal Well Established but Often Forgotten: Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claims Against Employees, ABA Business Torts & Unfair Competition Goldilocks and the Three Outcomes: Civil En Banc Review in the Dallas Court of Appeals, 2001-18, Appellate Advocate Recent Decisions on Arbitration, News for the Bar, Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas Will the 2018 Judicial Elections Breathe New Life into Factual Sufficiency Review?, Texas Law Book A synopsis of Error Preservation, Dallas Bar Journal Capabilities Trials Class Actions Labor and Employment Securities Litigation Credentials Education: SMU Dedman School of Law - 2015 Juris Doctor University of Southern California - 2010 Bachelor of Arts Admissions: Texas Bar Clerkships: USDC, Western District of Texas, Hon. Alia Moses, 2015 - 2016