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John Bursch chairs the firm’s Appellate Practice and Public Affairs Litigation Groups. He represents multinational organizations, governments, and individuals in litigation involving the most difficult legal issues and most grave financial consequences. Representative business clients include Amway Global, Auto-Owners Insurance, BorgWarner, Chicago Title Company, CMS Energy, Dow Chemical, DTE Energy, Fifth Third Bank, Farmers Insurance, Huntington National Bank, Lafarge N.A., Robert Bosch Corporation, Spartan Stores, Wells Fargo Financial Leasing, and Whirlpool. John has also represented numerous industry associations, citizen groups, and local governments, as well as two former gubernatorial candidates, ten state legislators, three states, and Canada.
John has been recognized in both The Best Lawyers in America and by Michigan Super Lawyers. In 2010, John was honored with an appointment to the American Bar Association's practitioner's reading committee that reviewed U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's writings prior to her Senate confirmation. He is also the only attorney ever to receive back-to-back "Distinguished Brief Awards" for his advocacy before the Michigan Supreme Court (in its 2008 and 2009 Terms). In the past eight years, John has successfully litigated appeals with more than $2.25 billion in controversy. He has:
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Participated in 15 U.S. Supreme Court cases, including successful cert. petitions in the 2006 and 2007 Terms;
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Presented oral argument in the 4th, 5th, 6th, and D.C. Circuit Courts of Appeals, including successful representation of a Fortune Global 150 corporation in a billion-dollar intellectual property dispute and reinstatement of a lawsuit that resulted in a $42 million judgment for clients;
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Appeared in more than 100 Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court matters, including successful defense of a billion-dollar securities class action and two separate peremptory reversals in the Michigan Supreme Court before merits briefing had even taken place; and
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Submitted amicus curiae briefs on behalf of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Manufacturers Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel Inc., the Product Liability Advisory Council, the Michigan Bankers Association, the Michigan Aggregates Association, the City of Grand Rapids, three separate sections of the Michigan State Bar, and three states.
John has also been involved in many of Michigan's most important public-affairs disputes. Among other things, he:
- Represented a Michigan House of Representatives delegation in the Asian Carp litigation that Michigan filed as an original action in the United States Supreme Court;
- Successfully defeated a Michigan litigation effort, modeled after Massachusetts v. EPA, designed to force the Michigan Department of Natural Resources & Environment to regulate greenhouse gas emissions;
- Represented Michigan Gambling Opposition (MichGO) in a ten-year battle against a proposed casino, giving the City of Grand Rapids time to grow and solidify its entertainment economy;
- Represented Indiana, Ohio, and South Carolina as amici in D.C. Circuit litigation regarding the EPA’s rules for new-source-review permitting for stationary sources under the Clean Air Act.
John serves in leadership positions for a number of appellate bar associations, including immediate Past-Chair of the ABA's Council of Appellate Lawyers, and Co-Chair of the Supreme Court subcommittee of the ABA's Section of Litigation. John has also served as an officer for both the Michigan State Bar's Appellate Practice Section and the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan’s Board of Directors, and he is a member of the Michigan Supreme Court Advocates Guild.
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Representative Experience
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Honors and Awards
- Received the 2010 Distinguished Brief Award, recognizing advocacy in the Michigan Supreme Court
- Received the 2009 Distinguished Brief Award, recognizing advocacy in the Michigan Supreme Court
- Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2009-2011
- Named to Michigan Super Lawyers 2009
- Named as a Michigan Super Lawyer Rising Star - 2008
- AV-rated, the highest possible, under Martindale-Hubbell's Peer Review Rating System
- Listed in Who's Who in American Law 2007-Present
- Listed in Who's Who in America 2007-Present
- Order of the Coif
- Phi Kappa Phi
- Charles E. Nadler Award for Most Outstanding Staff Member, Volume 80 Minnesota Law Review; Executive Note & Comment Editor, Minnesota Law Review
- Law School Commencement Speaker
- Rhodes Scholar nominee
- A. Bruce Clark Senior Award for Excellence in Mathematics
- Graduate of Lee Honors College
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Bar Associations
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American Bar Association
Immediate Past-Chair, Council of Appellate Lawyers (CAL); Chair of Supreme Court Subcommittee, Business Law Section; Appellate Practice Committee, Litigation Section
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State Bar of Michigan
Appellate Practice Section, Former Treasurer; Litigation Section
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Grand Rapids Bar Association
Litigation Section
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Teaching and Lecturing
- Annual summary of U.S. Supreme Court decisions for the Western District of Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (2005-present)
- Panel presentation on technology and its effect on appellate practice and appellate review at the ABA's 2008 Appellate Summit in Phoenix, Arizona (Nov. 13-16, 2008)
- Panel presentation on preserving the trial court record for appeal, and group moderator for discussions of the purpose, policy, and procedure of appellate oral argument, and appellate research and brief writing at the 2007 Michigan Appellate Bench Bar Conference (May 3-4, 2007)
- Panel presenter regarding appellate and trial court best practice as part of the State Bar of Michigan's Annual Meeting in Ypsilanti, Michigan (Sept. 14, 2006)
- Product Liability Seminar: Protecting Your Company From Product Recall (Spring Manufacturers Institute, Tucson, AZ, May 1-3, 2003)
Tribute to the Honorable James B. Loken on his promotion to Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (Minneapolis, MN, Apr. 5, 2003) Legal Concerns for Artists (ArtServe Michigan, Business of Being an Artist Workshop, Grand Rapids, MI, Nov. 2, 2002) More than 30 Career Development Programs presented to Warner Norcross & Judd personnel on topics including legal research, what to expect from law practice, and client service principles (2000-present) University of Minnesota Law School Commencement Speaker (Minneapolis, MN, May 10, 1997)
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Publications
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Professional Affiliations
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Defense Research Institute
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National Association of Diocesan Attorneys
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Supreme Court Historical Society
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Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society
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Michigan Supreme Court's Advocates Guild
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Community Affiliations
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AYSO Youth Soccer
Coach (2003-Present)
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Hispanic Center of West Michigan
Board of Directors (2006-09), Secretary (2008-09)
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Hugh Michael Beahan Foundation
Board of Trustees (2003-05)
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St. John Vianney Worship Commission
Chair (2000-03)
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News
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