John Quinn is a partner at Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP. John represents companies, institutions, and individuals in high-profile civil litigation and leads the firm’s efforts in several progressive public interest matters.
John has led a prominent hotel developer through complex multi-jurisdictional litigation and arbitration proceedings; represented Airbnb and Uber in Fourth Amendment challenges to municipal data-sharing requirements; and defended Gigi Hadid, Jennifer Lopez, and Ariana Grande in copyright lawsuits brought by paparazzi. He advises a wide range of institutions from hedge funds to a prominent art estate on various litigation matters.
John led a massive fraud case against former President Trump and his businesses, which has included defeating motions to compel arbitration both in the District Court and in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He also has worked on multiple amicus briefs filed in the United States Supreme Court in cases challenging actions by the Trump administration and represented a student-led LGBTQ+ pride organization in Starkville, Mississippi. In Starkville, John led a successful constitutional challenge to the city’s denial of a parade permit—and then flew to Starkville to help lead the parade. John regularly argues in state and federal courts and has extensive experience managing large litigation matters, meeting with government agencies, and advising senior executives of major institutions.
John has won multiple under-40 and rising-star distinctions from Benchmark Litigation, The New York Law Journal, New York Metro Lawyers, Superlawyers, The National LGBT Bar Association and Foundation, and Crain’s New York Business. Lawdragon 500 recognized John as a Leading Litigator in America and Leading Plaintiff Employment & Civil Rights Lawyer and he has been honored with the LGBT Bar Association of New York’s Community Excellence Award.
John is an active board director of the Ali Forney Center, a Harlem-based LGBTQ+ youth homeless shelter and services organization. John has also spent years coaching high school mock trial programs and advising LGBTQ+ students on navigating law school and law firm life while being true to themselves and their values. John also serves on the board of trustees of the Broome Street Academy, a public charter school in lower Manhattan devoted to serving homeless and foster children throughout New York City. John is a member of the Federal Bar Council, a member of the Federal Bar Foundation, and an Honorary Overseas Member of the Commercial Bar Association of London.
John clerked for the Honorable John R. Padova in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School and his B.A. from Yale University.
Updated July 2023
