John Wester

John Wester concentrates his practice in the trials and appeals of complex civil litigation. He has prosecuted and defended numerous class action cases in both federal and state courts and has extensive experience in the North Carolina Business Court.

Mr. Wester routinely handles cases with a high probability of going to trial. He often enters a case after it is underway, and in some instances, at the appellate stage. His trials and appeals encompass contract, corporate governance and shareholder rights disputes, federal securities claims, ERISA actions, unfair trade practice and trade secret disputes, tax controversies and employment discrimination claims.

Mr. Wester has served as lead defense counsel in several noteworthy cases, including before the U.S. Supreme Court in Ford Motor v. EEOC. The decision established precedent for ending employer liability in employment discrimination cases. He was also lead counsel in the North Carolina Supreme Court for three governors who successfully challenged the General Assembly for violating constitutional separation of powers in McCrory v. Berger.

In 1994, Mr. Wester was inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.

In 2009-10, he served as president of the North Carolina Bar Association.