Name: John S. Poulos
Item: John S. Poulos
Author: John.Poulos

Bio

John Poulos is an equity partner in the Sacramento office of Lewis Brisbois and is co-chair of the Complex Business & Commercial Litigation Practice where he focuses exclusively on commercial litigation. He is also vice-chair of Lewis Brisbois’ Banking & Finance Practice and serves on The Firm's Executive Management Committee, and vice-chair of the Directors & Officers and Securities Litigation Practice.

Mr. Poulos is an experienced federal and state court trial lawyer with more than two decades of experience handling complex business litigation matters. Mr. Poulos has extensive appellate and jury trial experience which includes holding a spot in California’s top ten trial victories of 2009. Mr. Poulos also recently secured one of the few class action defense verdicts in California’s history.

Mr. Poulos' practice spans a multitude of subject matter areas including class actions, complex real estate matters, construction disputes, breach of contract, employment decimation, fraud and a wide variety of other commercial business disputes. Mr. Poulos has many years of experience representing owners, contractors, subcontractors, lenders and material suppliers in both public and private works construction disputes and has prosecuted and defended False Claims Act claims. He also has experience prosecuting and defending mechanics' liens, stop notices, performance and payment bond claims, and construction defect claims. Mr. Poulos has represented design professionals and contractors regarding state licensing issues and has extensive experience representing developers, title insurance companies, builders, lenders and property owners in a variety of real estate

disputes, including government investigations, disputes as to title, lien priority, breach of contract, development rights and real estate related torts, including significant mold-related claims and property contamination matters. Mr. Poulos has experience litigating claims under CERCLA, RCRA, the Clean Water Act, California's Endangered Species Act and various other state environmental statutes.

Finally, Mr. Poulos has significant experience handling binding arbitrations and has successfully resolved many complex disputes through other alternative dispute resolution processes, including early neutral evaluation programs and mediation.

Mr. Poulos has been named one of Northern California’s Super Lawyers for many years running and is consistently recognized as a top California trial lawyer from various peer and industry organizations. Mr. Poulos was a law clerk to Justices Edmund Burke, Alexander Bryner and Robert Eastaugh of the Alaska Supreme Court. Mr. Poulos is a former Trustee of the Davis Joint Unified School District.

Primary Area(s) of Practice

Complex Business & Commercial Litigation
Wage & Hour Class Actions
Class Action & Mass Tort
Italy Practice
Directors & Officers and Securities Litigation

Additional Experience

Construction
Real Estate, Land Use & Environment
Labor & Employment
Antitrust & Competition
Trial

Admissions

California

Alaska

Colorado

Oregon

Washington

Supreme Court of the United States

Awards & Honors

Named to the 2019 list of “America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators for Northern California”
Certified as being selected as a Charter Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America
Selected by Peer Recognition in The Best Lawyers in America, 2015, 2018, 2019
Selected by Peer Recognition as Best Lawyers in Northern California, Wall Street Journal, 2018
Recognized in Top Lawyers, Sacramento Magazine, 2016—2018
Selected for inclusion in Best of the Bar, Sacramento Business Journal, 2015
Selected for inclusion in Northern California's Super Lawyers, San Francisco Magazine, 2013–2015
Recognized by Best Lawyers as Top Attorneys in Northern California, 2013, 2018
Recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer
Recognized by Best Lawyers as Top Attorney in Construction Law and Real Estate Law

Education

University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law

Juris Doctor, 1991

Claremont McKenna College
Bachelor of Arts, 1987

Offices Held

Trustee of the Davis Joint Unified School District (2000-2003)

Published Opinions

Verizon v. Airtouch - Third District Court of Appeal
American Nurses Association v. O'Connell - Third District Court of Appeal
Premier Medical v. CNA Insurance - Fourth District Court of Appeal
Health Net v. Haukedelin - Third District Court of Appeal
Kern County Water Agency, et al. v. California Department Water Resources - Fourth District Court of Appeal
American Nurses Association v. Torlakson – Third District Court of Appeal

Publications
Supreme Court Settles Jurisdiction Question Under Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Authors: Andrew D. Bluth, Lauren Lynch Flick, John S. Poulos, 1/19/2012
Nonprofit Defends Purchase Deals for City of Los Angeles, Authors: Deborah B. Baum, Andrew D. Bluth, Alvin Dunn, John S. Poulos, Chris R. Rodriguez, 4/25/2008
Pillsbury Winthrop on Affordable Housing 2003 Issue, Authors: Rachel B. Horsch, Michael Ouimette, John S. Poulos, Matthew Africa, Jason A. Hobson, Tuan A. Pham, Monique L.C. Wright, Paul R. Schrecongost, Gary Downs, 2/18/2003

John S. Poulos

Find Featured Recipients

Attorney Acceptance Form

Attorney Login

John S. Poulos

Login

Sign up for America's Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators