Attorney John Powers – Partner
Learn More About John
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Albany Law School, John is a nationally recognized authority on the medical and legal aspects of catastrophic injury.
He is the Co-Founder and a former President of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers; a former President of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association; a former President of the Capital District Trial Lawyers Association; a former Chair of the Trial Lawyers Section of the New York State Bar Association and has served as a member of the House of Delegates of the NYSBA. John served as a member of the national Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice [AAJ] from 1990 until 2004 and served two terms as a member of the association’s Executive Committee. John currently serves as a director of the Melvin M. Belli Society.
He is one of only 43 lawyers in the nation to be granted the status of Life Member in AAJ. John is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Trial Advocacy and has been awarded the rank of Advocate by the American Board of Trial Advocates.
In addition to his service to the legal profession, John served as First Vice-President of the New York State Brain Injury Association and has been granted Life Membership in both that organization and the National Brain Injury Association.
A Co-Founder of the National College of Advocacy and former President of the New York State Trial Lawyers Institute, John is in frequent demand as a speaker, particularly in the area of advocating on behalf of individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries. In the past, he has served as a chairperson or lecturer at more than 400 programs throughout the United States and Canada.
Important Highlights
John has published many books, chapters and articles on legal issues, including a chapter in The National Head Injury Foundation Guide to the: “Analysis, Understanding and Presentation of Cases Involving Traumatic Brain Injury.”
John is also a member of the Taos Injury Lawyers Organization, which consists of outstanding attorneys who have earned peer recognition and professional achievement across the country.
Profession: Attorney; Practice limited to the representation of catastrophically injured individuals.
Areas of Practice
- Hospital Malpractice – Plaintiffs
- Medical Malpractice – Plaintiffs
- Serious or Catastrophic Personal Injury – Plaintiffs
- Products Liability – Plaintiffs
- Premises Liability – Plaintiffs
- Construction/Workplace Accidents – Plaintiffs
- Motor Vehicle Accidents – Plaintiffs
Education
- Albany Law School Union University, Albany, New YorkJ.D. – 1972
- University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IndianaB.A. – 1969
Bar Admissions
- New York
- U.S. District Court Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court Western District of New York
- U.S. District Court District of Vermont
- U.S. Supreme Court
Published Works
Classes / Seminars
Honors and Awards
Professional Associations and Memberships
- “Construction Accidents”, (Co-Author with Daniel R. Santola), New York Negligence Guide, Matthew Bender & Co., Inc., 1989
- “Construction Accidents, How to be a Winner”, (Co-Author with Daniel R. Santola), Tri-Cities Building & Construction Trades Council, Fall, 1989
- “Compensating the Catastrophically Injured”, (Co-Author with Daniel R. Santola), 1989
- Chapter 28, Vehicle Collision Litigation, (Co-Author with Daniel R. Santola), Shepard’s/ McGraw-Hill, Inc.
- “The Big Lie”, Trial Lawyers Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 4, Summer, 1992
- “The Wrong Choice”, Trial Lawyers Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 1, Fall, 1992
- “It’s Reno Standard Time”, Trial Lawyers Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 2, Winter-Spring, 1993
- “The New York Experience”, TRIAL magazine, April, 1993
- “Direct Examination of Plaintiff’s Treating Physicians and Experts”, Analysis, Understanding and Presentation of Cases Involving Traumatic Brain Injury, National Head Injury Foundation, 1994
- “The Seat Belt Defense In New York State”, Trial Lawyers Quarterly, Vol. 24, No. 3, Spring, 1994
- Guest Lecturer, District of Columbia Trial Lawyers
- Guest Lecturer, Albany Law School, Union University
- Guest Lecturer, Syracuse Law School, Syracuse University
- Guest Lecturer, New York University Law School
- Guest Lecturer, Albany Medical College, Union University
- Guest Lecturer, Bellevue Hospital
- Guest Lecturer, Connecticut Traumatic Brain Injury Group
- Guest Lecturer, Ohio Head Injury Association
- Guest Lecturer, AAJ – New Jersey
- Guest Lecturer, Florida Academy of Trial Lawyers
- Guest Lecturer, Maryland Academy of Trial Lawyers
- Guest Lecturer, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
- Guest Lecturer, Louisiana Association for Justice
- Guest Lecturer, Massachusetts Academy of Trial Lawyers
- Lecturer, The Belli Society
- Lecturer, Albany County Bar Association
- Lecturer, New Jersey Trial Lawyers Association (AAJ-NJ)
- Lecturer, American Association for Justice
- Lecturer, NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers
- Lecturer, NYS Bar Association
- Lecturer, NYS Trial Lawyers Association
- Member, Chief Judge’s Committee to Improve Availability of Legal Services
- Member, Chief Judge’s Pro-Bono Monitoring Committee
- Member, Editorial Advisory Board, James Publishing, Inc., Law Publishers Costa Mesa, California
- American Association for Justice Wiedeman-Wysocki Citation of Excellence, 1994 – 1996
- New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers – President’s Award, 2007 – 2008
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association – Award of Merit, 1990
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association – Award of Excellence, 1991
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association – President’s Award, 1995, 1996, and 1998
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association – Distinguished Service Award, 1997
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association – Presidential Achievement Award, 1999
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association – President’s Service Award, 2000
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association – President’s Award of Excellence, 2001
- Award of Merit, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 1990
- Award of Merit, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 1994
- Award of Excellence, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 1991
- President’s Award, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 1995 – 1996
- President’s Award, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 1998
- President’s Award, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 2002
- President’s Achievement Award, New York State Trial Lawyers Association
- President’s Service Award, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 2000
- President’s Award of Excellence, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 2001
- Distinguished Service Award, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 1997
- Honorary Board Member, Capital District Women’s Bar Association Legal Project, Inc.
- Listed in: “THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA” (continuously since 1985)
- Listed in: “Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers in the areas of Medical Malpractice; Personal Injury; Products Liability”
- Listed in: New York Super Lawyers
- Listed in: New York Magazine New York Area’s Top Lawyers
- Selected as one of The Top 100 Trial Lawyers in New York State by The American Trial Lawyers Association
- Listed in: “Who’s Who in American Law”
- Listed in: “Who’s Who in America”
- Listed in: “Who’s Who In The World”
- Listed in: Who’s Who in Finance and Industry
- Listed in: “Who’s Who in the East”
- Awarded Highest Rating (AV) by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association – Award of Merit, 1994
- New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, President, 2004 – 2006
- New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, Co-Founder
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, President, 1992 – 1993
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, President-Elect, 1991 – 1992
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 1st Vice-President, 1990 – 1991
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, 2nd Vice-President, 1989 – 1990
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Treasurer, 1988 – 1989
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Executive Committee, 1986 – 2004
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Directors, 1983 – 2004
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Chair, Law Day Dinner
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Chair, Key Person Committee
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Chair, Publications Committee
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Chair, Attorney Referral Committee
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Chair, Convention Committee
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Chair, Pro-Bono Committee
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Vice-Chair, Membership Committee
- American Association for Justice, Life Member
- American Association for Justice, Member, Executive Committee, 1995 – 1997
- American Association for Justice, Member, Board of Governors, 1990 – 2004
- American Association for Justice, Member, Council of State Presidents, 1991 – 1994
- American Association for Justice, State Delegate, 1990
- American Association for Justice, Chair, Political Action Management Committee, 1995 – 1997
- American Association for Justice, Co-Chair, Constitutional Litigation Committee, 1993 – 1995
- American Association for Justice, Organization and Home Office Committee, 1994 – 1995
- American Association for Justice, State Legislative Advisory Committee, 1996 – 1998
- American Association for Justice, Long Range Planning Advisory Committee, 1996 – 1998
- American Association for Justice, Public Affairs Committee, 1995
- American Association for Justice, Legal Affairs Committee, 1993 – 1995
- American Association for Justice, State Relations Committee, 1992 – 1995
- American Association for Justice, Presidents Council, 1991 – 1994
- American Association for Justice, No-Fault Coordination Committee, 1992 – 1995
- American Association for Justice, AAJ/ABOTA Liaison Committee, 1996 – 1998
- American Association for Justice, Membership Task Force Committee
- American Association for Justice, Key Person Committee
- American Association for Justice, Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group
- American Association for Justice, Executive Committee, 1995 – 1997
- American Association for Justice, Wiedeman-Wysocki Citation of Excellence, 1994 – 1996
- New York State Bar Association, Sustaining Member
- New York State Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Section, Chair, 2005 – 2006
- New York State Bar Association, Member, House of Delegates, 2007 – Present
- New York State Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Section, Vice-Chair, 2004 – 2005
- New York State Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Section, Secretary, 2003 – 2004
- New York State Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Section, Treasurer, 2002 – 2003
- New York State Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Section, Member, Executive Committee, 1988 – Present
- New York State Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Section, Chair, Legislative Committee, 1988 – Present
- New York State Bar Association, Program Chair, 1986 – Present
- New York State Bar Association, Member, Special Committee on Medical Malpractice, 1994 – 1995
- New York State Bar Association, Member, Tort Reparations Committee, 1995 – Present
- Capital District Trial Lawyers Association, Charter Member
- Capital District Trial Lawyers Association, President, 1985 – 1986
- Capital District Trial Lawyers Association, Vice-President, 1983 – 1985
- Capital District Trial Lawyers Association, Treasurer, 1981 – 1982
- Capital District Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Directors, 1979 – 1981
- Capital District Trial Lawyers Association, Program Chair, 1978 – Present
- Academy of Trial Advocacy, National Board of Directors, 2004 – Present
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Albany, NY Chapter, Vice-President, 2005 – Present
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Albany, NY Chapter, Charter Member
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Albany, NY Chapter, Charter Member
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Advocate
- New York State Trial Lawyers Institute, President, 1992 – 1993
- New York State Trial Lawyers Institute, Treasurer, 1988 – 1989
- New York State Trial Lawyers Institute, Program Chair, 1981 – 2003
- New York State Lawyers Political Action Committee, Chairman, 1993 – 2003
- New York State Lawyers Political Action Committee, Treasurer, 1989 – 1993
- New York State Lawyers Political Action Committee, Trustee, 1983 – 2004
- American Association of Justice, Trustee, Political Action Committee, 1995 – 1998
- National College of Advocacy, Co-Founder
- National College of Advocacy, Program Chair
- New Jersey Association for Justice (AAJ-NJ), Member
- Albany County Bar Association, Sustaining Member
- Onondaga County Bar Association, Sustaining Member
- The Melvin M. Belli Society, Board of Directors, 2009 – Present
- Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association, Member
- National Brain Injury Association, Life Member
- New York State Brain Injury Association, Life Member
- New York State Brain Injury Association, 1st Vice-President, 1993 – 1995
- New York State Brain Injury Association, Board of Directors, 1992 – 1993
- New York State Brain Injury Association, Counsel, 1983 – 1985
- American Association for Justice, Public Affairs Committee, 1997 – Present
