Image of John J. Jablonski
John J. Jablonski
Managing Partner

Biography

John is the firm’s Managing Partner. He chairs the firm’s Cyber, Technology and Social Media Practice Group. He also chairs the firm’s Toxic Tort and Environmental Practice Group, as well as its Employment and Labor Practice Group. He has over 20 years of experience advising clients on enterprise-wide initiatives involving data privacy and security, information governance, IT governance, litigation readiness, privacy and security of enterprise technology, applications and cloud-based systems (including click-wrap and browse-wrap agreements, terms and conditions, master services, service level and software licensing agreements and website privacy statements), matter management software, enterprise-wide electronic evidence preservation and e-discovery solutions. John’s passion for technology, process improvement and governance makes him uniquely qualified to solve complex legal problems at the intersection of security, privacy and information governance. John’s analytical skills also support due diligence and portfolio analysis related to insurance portfolio transfer engagements of the firm’s Insurance Solutions practice group and development of the firm’s alternative fee agreements. He is the editor and author of the leading text on e-discovery and legal holds (7 Steps for Legal Holds of ESI and Other Documents). His vision for delivering legal services through innovation, efficiency and cost certainty is a driving force behind the firm’s business model.

John’s strength is delivering results-oriented legal advice that is sensitive to the business needs of his clients. He quantifies legal risks and devises mitigation strategies designed to proactively comply with legal, privacy, security and industry standards through procedures, policies and enterprise governance. John also understands that enterprise risk management and mitigation strategies are not one-size fits all. He helps organizations of all sizes with baseline assessments, developing organizational goals for governance, process and security improvements, identifying and implementing IT governance frameworks, maturity assessments, compliance assessments and ongoing legal support for privacy, security and governance projects. In addition to consulting, he has brought these skills to bear in resolving complex litigation, including jury trials, in the transportation, business, retail, product liability and environmental realm.

John is a frequent author, speaker and national authority on preservation of evidence, information governance, data privacy, data security and e-discovery in the United States. John develops litigation readiness and e-discovery procedures for clients, including developing vendor relationships and RFPs. John develops and manages e-discovery strategy, including participation in Rule 26(f) and Rule 16 conferences, negotiating protective orders, negotiating e-discovery protocols, defense of 30(b)(6) depositions and motion practice defending preservation, collection, privilege and production processes. He has managed e-discovery projects involving terabytes of data and hundreds of reviewers, including contract review teams, quality assurance and processes to protect attorney-client privileged ESI.

John is a jury-tested litigator, taking cases to verdict in state and federal court. He has multiple trial and summary judgment wins on multi-million dollar exposures. He represents major Class I railroads on toxic tort, asbestos and personal injury exposures. He is currently statewide counsel for a manufacturer on hundreds of hearing loss claims. John is also an accomplished commercial litigator in business-to-business disputes, commercial real estate and leasing disputes and proceedings in bankruptcy court. Clients seek out his counsel for large-scale environmental loss, including oil spill claims under New York’s Navigation Law, NYDEC regulatory violations, NYDEC remediation and hazardous waste site litigation under CERCLA.

John’s clients value his analytical skills in support of loss portfolio analysis involving large data sets of claims data in the United States, including use of various computer analytics tools, artificial intelligence initiatives, keyword searching strategies, technology-assisted review platforms, and individual document review by attorneys who have substantive experience in the claims and jurisdictions being analyzed (including confirming/challenging/setting liability and expense reserves). John’s analysis has been used by clients for their own internal analysis of existing portfolios, auditing claims within a portfolio, and due diligence in support of mergers and acquisitions. John uses loss portfolio analysis to develop alternative fee pricing models for firm clients, including developing and managing targeted programs for early case resolution, settlement programs, alternative dispute programs and other strategies to introduce economic efficiencies, claim process improvements, claim mitigation strategies and cost certainty in loss portfolio resolution.

John is admitted to all state courts in New York. He is admitted in federal court in the Western, Northern and Eastern Districts of New York, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He has received numerous awards and honors for his professional and community service.

John is an avid rugby fan and former competitive player making frequent trips to the elite eight and sweet sixteen of the U.S. National Championships with his club side over his playing career, including multiple tours to England, Ireland, Scotland and France. John achieved a life-long dream when he attended the 2015 World Cup Finals in England, witnessing the New Zealand All-Blacks achieve back-to-back World Cup championships. John’s three children share his passion for sports, with all three playing at the highest level of competition in their age groups in soccer, hockey and baseball. John and his wife share a love of travel, with recent trips to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Tahiti, England, Germany and Italy.