John Curley focuses his practice on complex business disputes, including breach of contract litigation, shareholder disputes, and cases involving allegations of civil securities fraud. Notable work includes pursuing claims for breaches of representations and warranties in asset purchase agreements, defending clients against civil RICO claims in connection with international money laundering allegations, and defending employees of publicly-traded companies in securities fraud cases. His work in this area also includes trade secrets litigation.
John also represents clients in securities-related regulatory investigations and proceedings, including investigations by FINRA, the CFTC, and the SEC. In a recent FINRA enforcement proceeding, he successfully defended an equities trader against unfounded insider trading allegations. A FINRA panel dismissed the proceeding in its entirety following a three-day disciplinary hearing.
Throughout his career, John has won a complete defense verdict at trial for a piping inspection company in an $80 million lawsuit arising from an explosion at a Wyoming oil refinery and had a major victory in a large and confidential commercial arbitration that threatened his client’s leading place in a $600 million market. He was also lead defense counsel for a co-founder of Liquid Holdings Group, Inc., a software company, in three separate litigations: a lawsuit by pre-IPO investors in New York Supreme, a putative securities fraud class action in the District of New Jersey, and an adversary proceeding in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. All three were resolved without any liability against John’s client.
John recently represented a company and its founder in a shareholder dispute that was resolved following a multi-day evidentiary hearing in which John’s clients defeated in substantial part the plaintiff’s attempt to obtain an injunction. John was also part of the team that secured summary judgment for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in litigation with Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse, which used to occupy a prominent place on the balcony of Grand Central Terminal.
He was named a Benchmark Litigation Litigation Star since 2022, and was shortlisted for Euromoney’s Rising Star Award for Best in White Collar Crime in 2018-2019. John was also named a Litigation Trailblazer by The National Law Journal in 2022.
Before joining Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney, John served as a law clerk to the Honorable Joanna Seybert of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Before that, he was a litigation associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. Prior to law school, he served on the staff of a U.S. congresswoman.
Practice Areas:
- Complex Commercial Litigation
- Employment Counseling and Litigation
- Insurance
Education:
- College of the Holy Cross (B.A. 2003)
- St. John’s University School of Law (J.D. 2008)
Updated Aug 2023
