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With 18 offices, from New York to Los Angeles and Seattle to Orlando, we live and work in communities all over the U.S., collaborating across locations, disciplines and even borders. Our experienced, highly ranked lawyers serve businesses wherever they are and wherever they want to go.

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Am Law 100 firm with practices in Business, Digital Assets and Data Management, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Litigation and Tax.

Home | BakerHostetler

BakerHostetler International Arbitration Team Again Achieves Ranking in Chambers Latin America 2027

Robert Musiala Speaks at National Public Pension Fund Association’s 2026 National Round Table Conference

A (Re)New(ed) Case for Textualism in Arbitration (<em>Mealey’s International Arbitration Report</em<)

<em>New York Law Journal</em> Features Lauren Resnick for Lifetime Achievement Award

<p>John has a 30-year track record of successful results for clients&nbsp;in the areas of fiduciary duties, business divorces, partnership disputes, contracts, financial fraud, trade secrets and noncompetes, government investigations and government contracts, Article 78 proceedings, real estate development and property management disputes, defamation, privacy and reporter’s privilege, false advertising, civil rights, class actions and other constitutional and business disputes.</p>
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<h2 id="" class="text-left">Video: John Siegal Highlights Our Noncompete and Trade Secrets Team</h2>
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J.D., New York University School of Law, 1987

B.A., Columbia University, Columbia College, 1981

<ul>
<li><em>The Best Lawyers in America®</em>
<ul>
<li>New York: Commercial Litigation (2024 to 2027)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Legal 500 United States
<ul>
<li>Dispute Resolution – General Commercial Disputes – Mid-Market ($250-500m) (2026)</li>
<li>Intellectual Property: Trade Secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
<ul>
<li>Leading Lawyer (2024 to 2026)</li>
<li>Recommended (2019, 2021 to 2023)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><em><span class="cf0">The Am Law Litigation Daily</span></em><span class="cf1">: Part of a team that received a Litigator of the Week Shout-out for fighting off a class certification bid in a long-running lawsuit challenging rent increases in New York City (March 7, 2025)</span></li>
<li>Brooklyn Bar Association&#8217;s Volunteer Lawyers Project: Dedication to Justice Award (2017)</li>
<li>Chambers USA: Litigation: General Commercial in New York (2015 to 2016, 2018 to 2019, 2021 to 2026)
<ul>
<li>Band 5 (2021 to 2026), Recognized Practitioner (2015 to 2016 &amp; 2018 to 2019)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>New York Metro &#8220;Super Lawyer&#8221; (2006 to 2008, 2013 to 2025)</li>
<li><em>World IP Review</em>: Leader (2025)</li>
</ul>


New York

BakerHostetler Attorneys Named as <em>The Best Lawyers in America</em>® for 2027

BakerHostetler attorneys and practice areas spotlighted in the 2026 Legal 500 annual guide

Chambers USA Guide 2026 Recognizes 179 BakerHostetler Attorneys and 81 Practice Areas

BakerHostetler New York Metro Attorneys Selected as Super Lawyers, Rising Stars

John Siegal Comments on Rollback of Nationwide Ban on Noncompetes in <em>Law360</em> Article

BakerHostetler Attorneys Named 2026 Best Lawyers, Ones to Watch and Lawyers of the Year

Noncompete Overhaul: Major State Developments

BakerHostetler attorneys and practice areas spotlighted in the 2025 Legal 500 annual guide

Chambers USA Guide 2025 Recognizes 171 BakerHostetler Attorneys and 73 Practice Areas

John Siegal, Erica Barrow Earn Law.com Shout-out for A&E Real Estate Holdings Win

Noncompete and Trade Secrets

BakerHostetler Services

Stop the Notices to Employees: FTC Noncompete Rule Vacated Nationwide

Webinar: The FTC’s Rule on Noncompetes: Deadline Day Is Here–What Will be Required & What Does Your Company Need to Do

John Siegal Quoted in Several Articles Regarding Split Court Decision on the FTC’s Noncompete Ban

The Second Decision Is In: PA Court Finds FTC Noncompete Rule Enforceable, Creating Conflicting Decisions and Uncertainty

The First Ruling Is In: FTC Noncompete Rule Enjoined – But No Nationwide Impact

BakerHostetler attorneys, practice areas stand out in The Legal 500 annual guide

Chambers USA Guide 2024 Recognizes 155 BakerHostetler Attorneys and ­66 Practice Areas

John Siegal Comments on New Rule Intended to Boost Competition and Raise Worker Pay in Fortune Article

John Siegal, Margaret Butler, Daryl Leon Comment on FTC’s Final Rule on Noncompetes

FTC Issues Final Rule Banning Noncompetes

Webinar: The FTC’s Rule on Noncompetes – Next Steps Following the Final Rule

Employment Law Spotlight

Members of the New York City Council Introduce Three Bills Seeking To Restrict Employers’ Use of Noncompetes

John Siegal Comments on the FTC’s Scheduled Ban on Noncompetes

Alternatives to Noncompetes

Alternatives to Noncompetes: Current Developments in Regulating Noncompetes

Alternatives to Noncompetes: Employment Law Alternatives to Noncompetes

Alternatives to Noncompetes: Intellectual Property Alternatives to Noncompetes

John Siegal is quoted in the NY Times about bill to outlaw noncompetes in New York

Webinar: Alternatives to Noncompetes: A Three-Part Series

John Siegel Is Quoted by Multiple Publications on Significance of New York Noncompete Bill

New York Legislature Approves Ban on All Noncompetes

BakerHostetler Attorneys and Practice Areas Recognized in The Legal 500 2023 Guide

Chambers USA Guide 2023 Honors 147 BakerHostetler Attorneys and Recognizes 64 Practice Areas

The Emerging New Era for Noncompetes and Trade Secrets

The Emerging New Era for Noncompetes and Trade Secrets: Future Shock: How To Protect Trade Secrets when Noncompetes Become Truly Disfavored

The Emerging New Era for Noncompetes and Trade Secrets: Nationalizing Competitiveness and Noncompete Law: Criminal Antitrust and Federal Efforts to Curtail No-Poach and Noncompete Agreements

BakerHosts

The Emerging New Era for Noncompetes and Trade Secrets: Legislating Fairness: The National Movement Toward Legislation Regulating the Use of Noncompetes

The Emerging New Era for Noncompetes and Trade Secrets: Global Reach: Extraterritoriality and DTSA Enforcement Beyond the US

The Emerging New Era for Noncompetes and Trade Secrets: The Defend Trade Secrets Act – Five Years After

The Emerging New Era for Noncompetes and Trade Secrets: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Litigating in a Pandemic: Tips on Dealing with the New Abnormal

BakerHostetler Attorneys Make Significant Gains in The Legal 500 Annual Guide

Chambers and Partners USA Honors 127 Attorneys and 43 Practice Areas in 2019 Guide

<i>Chambers and Partners USA</i> Honors 118 Attorneys and 45 Practice Areas  in 2018 Guide

150 BakerHostetler Attorneys Named 2016 Super Lawyers; 91 Named Rising Stars

<i>The Wall Street Journal</i> showcases BakerHostetler and the “unprecedented magnitude” of the global recovery efforts in article “The Madoff Liquidation, Three Years Later”

Press Release: Initial Interim Distribution of Recovered Funds to Madoff Claims Holders

<i>The New York Times</i> reports on BakerHostetler’s negotiation and settlement with the Picower Estate for $5 billion in the SIPA liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC

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State Attorney General Enforcement, Investigations and Litigation

<h5>Commercial Litigation</h5>
<ul>
<li>Successfully tried and resolved numerous business divorces and valuation disputes in private equity and closely held corporation cases.</li>
<li>Won dismissal of a federal consumer class action involving allegations of deceptive business practices on a series of motions to dismiss without any discovery being conducted.</li>
<li>Prevailed in defense of a false advertising case in two federal district courts against a consumer products company in which the product remained on the market for 18 months without any injunctive relief and no depositions having been taken.</li>
<li>Prosecuting commercial fraud and contract claims on behalf of a government authority seeking to recover monies owed to pension funds and benefit plans.</li>
<li>As part of BakerHostetler’s role as court-appointed counsel to the Securities Investor Protection Act Trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, served as lead attorney from 2009 to 2012 in Picard v. Madoff et al.</li>
</ul>
<h5>Trade Secrets and Noncompete</h5>
<ul>
<li>Prosecuted claims for a global consulting firm that lost 35 senior professionals due to competitor’s disregard of noncompete and nonsolicitation covenants and related business torts. Obtained a $65 million verdict in a 2022 jury trial (including award of attorney&#8217;s fees). Defeated competitor’s attempt to preemptively litigate the case in California, where noncompetes are not enforced.</li>
<li>Co-leader of BakerHostetler&#8217;s national Noncompete &amp; Trade Secrets Practice Group.</li>
<li>Litigated dozens of trade secrets cases, often involving noncompetes and other restrictive covenants, in federal and state courts across the country for businesses in nearly every industry.</li>
<li>Enforce and defend against restrictive covenant and raiding claims for investment banks and financial services professionals in FINRA arbitrations and injunction proceedings in federal and state courts.</li>
<li>Founding Chair of New York City Bar Association Committee on Trade Secrets.</li>
<li>Member of Sedona Conference Working Group on Trade Secrets.</li>
<li>Published extensively on employment trade secret issues in the <em>New York Law Journal, The National Law Journal,</em> an academic law review and numerous industry publications, and served as program chair and panelist for Practicing Law Institute seminars on trade secrets and restrictive covenants.</li>
</ul>
<h5>Real Estate</h5>
<ul>
<li>Representing owners and managers of moderate-income housing properties in class action litigations, government regulatory investigations, commercial disputes and public policy matters.</li>
<li>Prevailed in jury trial on a claim by a condominium owner that the building’s board breached its duties in failing to timely and effectively remediate mold and other environmental hazards. The verdict was listed in the largest state court contract verdicts of the year by the <em>New York Law Journal</em>.</li>
<li>Served as lead counsel in the outdoor advertising industry’s successful challenge to New York City’s attempt to apply its land use regulations to locations on state-owned railroad rights of way.</li>
<li>Successfully litigated over land use approvals for two different New York City stadium projects, once helping to obtain dismissal of challenges to the public approvals for a sports stadium and once, as lead counsel, annulling the award of a concession for construction of a stadium in a park.</li>
</ul>
<h5>Media, Government and Constitutional Litigation</h5>
<ul>
<li>Representing state authority in Article 78 proceedings involving contracting and public policy actions.</li>
<li>Defending media organizations against libel and privacy claims and government investigations concerning data privacy and online sales.</li>
<li>Won an $18 million jury verdict in a three-week federal trial in May 2015 for a private equity executive in a civil rights case brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for First Amendment retaliation by state pension fund officials.</li>
<li>Represented Mayor Bill de Blasio prior to inauguration in the Second Circuit’s 2013 review of the remedies order in Floyd v. City of New York concerning the New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk practices.</li>
<li>Represented 123 NYPD sergeants who passed the lieutenant’s exam in successfully opposing an Article 78 due process petition seeking to enjoin their promotions due to allegations of test improprieties by others.</li>
<li>Represented documentary filmmakers Ken Burns, David McMahon and Sarah Burns in quashing a subpoena for outtakes of the film “The Central Park Five.” The City of New York sought the footage in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the subject of the film. The decision clarified and limited the scope of exceptions to the reporter’s privilege under Second Circuit case law.</li>
</ul>


John Siegal

John Siegal

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