John D. North
New Jersey
Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis LLP
99 Wood Avenue South
Iselin, NJ 08830
United States
Tel: 732.476.2630
Email:
jnorth@greenbaumlaw.com
Web:
www.greenbaumlaw.com
Mr. North focuses his practice in litigation, with an emphasis on trial practice. He has tried jury and non-jury cases in state and federal courts, including over 75 jury cases to verdict. He is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney.
A significant portion of Mr. North’s practice is devoted to the defense of catastrophic injury and other high exposure cases in the areas of toxic torts, negligence, public entity liability and professional liability, including the defense of attorneys, accountants and insurance brokers.
Mr. North’s practice also concentrates in the representation of commercial and residential real estate developers in connection with design and construction defect litigation, as well as the defense of claims brought under New Jersey’s Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act and Consumer Fraud Act.
Additionally, he has represented major banks and financial institutions in connection with lender liability claims and matters involving negotiable instruments and financial fraud.
Mr. North is the author of the evidence treatise A Trial Lawyer’s Strategic Guide to the New Jersey Rules of Evidence, and is a principal author of Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts, contributing the chapter in the treatise devoted to Medical Malpractice. He also contributed the chapter on statutory disclosure requirements in Winning Legal Strategies for Construction Law. He has lectured throughout the state on evidence and trial practice.
Education
- University of Maryland School of Law, J.D. with honors, 1977
- Lehigh University, B.A. with high honors, 1971
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey, 1977
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 1977
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 1985
- Obtained a $26.2 million plaintiff’s verdict in a products liability “crashworthiness” case
- Ongoing represenation of an industrial product manufacturer in multiple mass tort, personal injury and natural resource damage (NRD) matters involving PFAS “forever”chemicals
- Representation of nursing home facilities in connection with 8-figure settlement of multiple COVID-related wrongful death claims
- Represented a major bank in a construction loan matter involving complex “lender liability” defenses and counterclaims. Obtained a jury verdict rejecting “lender liability” claims and judgment in favor of the bank for all amounts due on the construction loan
- Representation of financial services clients in connection with environmental claims arising out of mortgage transactions and Other Real Estate Owned properties
- Successfully represented a managing general agent in a contractual dispute with an insurance carrier involving both injunctive relief in federal court and 9-figure damage claims in arbitration
- Successfully defended a major real estate developer in a six month jury trial involving claims by a condominium owners’ association for $200 million based on allegations of construction defects, financial misrepresentations and consumer fraud
- Represented condominium association in matter involving claims against developer for alleged construction and design defects, as well as alleged financial misrepresentations. Obtained an 8-figure settlement at trial
- In the first case decided under New Jersey’s elder financial abuse reporting law, obtained a ruling in a non-jury trial that the client financial institution had acted properly, and that the statute did not impose an affirmative regulatory obligation on financial institutions
- After an adverse summary judgment in a multi-million dollar matter arising out of the termination of commercial land leases, obtained a reversal on appeal, with a direction from the appellate court to the trial court that the adverse judgment be vacated and judgment entered in favor of client financial institution
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers Fellow
- American College of Trial Lawyers Fellow
- Litigation Counsel of America Fellow
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- Litigation Counsel of America Senior Fellow, Order of Centruions Barrister, Order of Certus Advocate
- Recipient of the Trial Bar Award from the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey for his distinguished service in the cause of justice (2019)
- Recipient of the Professional Lawyer of the Year Award from the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey and the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law (2016)
- Listed in Chambers USA (a publication of Chambers and Partners) in the Litigation: General Commercial and Construction practice areas (2011 – present)
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) in the Bet-the-Company Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs practice areas (2010 – present)
- Selected by Best Lawyers® (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) as Woodbridge “Lawyer of the Year” in Bet-the-Company Litigation (2022, 2013)
- Listed in New Jersey Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters business) in the Civil Litigation: Defense, Banking, and Personal Injury – General: Plaintiff practice areas (2005 – present); listed as one of Super Lawyers’ Top 100 Attorneys in New Jersey (2010, 2011, 2019)
- Listed as a Local Litigation Star in New Jersey in Benchmark Litigation (a publication of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC) in the Bankruptcy, Construction, and General Commercial practice areas (2016 – present)
- Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent (a trademark of Internet Brands, Inc.) (1990 – present)