Practices

John W. Moticka

Partner

DIRECT CONTACT
314.259.4562
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ST. LOUIS OFFICE
7700 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 1100
St. Louis, MO 63105

Recognitions Articles/Presentations overview

John has been a trial lawyer for more than 25 years, with a practice focused exclusively on the representation of parties involved in substantial business litigation. Today, John frequently uses alternative fee arrangements in order to provide his clients with cost certainty for their litigation. John has successfully represented plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of complex business cases, including for example, disputes between parties to contracts (e.g., licensor/licensee contracts, distribution and supply contracts, joint venture agreements), disputes between competitors, construction litigation, restrictive covenant litigation, land use and other real estate litigation and media litigation (defense only). John is co-managing partner of the St. Louis office.

Representative Experience

Lead counsel to baby bottle manufacturer in purported nationwide class actions that assert state law claims pertaining to alleged chemical risks associated with use of the client's products.
Lead trial counsel for national bank in its claims against competitor bank and seven former employees based on competitor bank's "lift out" of employees and formation of competing subsidiary. Obtained eight-figure settlement during second week of jury trial.
Lead counsel for forklift dealer in negligent misrepresentation claim against international forklift manufacturer. Obtained judgment in client's favor after two-week jury trial, which judgment was affirmed by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Forklifts of St. Louis, Inc. v. Komatsu Forklift, U.S.A., Inc.
Successfully represented real estate developer in usurpation of corporate opportunity claim against former employee arising from employee's purchase and efforts to 'flip' 60-acre tract employee learned of during course of employment. Obtained Court Order prohibiting employee from selling property, and ultimately succeeded in having property transferred to client.
John has successfully litigated numerous "non-compete" cases. For example, John has successfully represented: (a) a packaging company in claims against two former employees and their new employer; (b) a chain of haunted houses in a dispute with a competing chain; and (c) a company engaged in the distribution of pre-packaged sandwiches in claims against its principal competitor

Education

University of Missouri - Columbia, J.D., 1981

University of Missouri - Columbia, B.J., 1978

Of Note

John is the business litigation counsel of choice for St. Louis' largest homebuilder and is national e-discovery counsel for a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis. He is also one of the Stinson lawyers responsible for pre-publication review and litigation involving St. Louis' most successful network affiliate television station.

Bar Admissions

Missouri, 1981

Professional Affiliations

The Missouri Bar
American Bar Association
Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis