Bartlit Beck LLP

John Hughes and his trial teams have secured over $1.1 billion in jury verdicts, including nine-figure patent infringement verdicts in California, Delaware and Texas. John has significant trial experience in high-stakes cases in both state and federal court. Since joining Bartlit Beck, John has spent over 150 days in the courtroom, examining witnesses, arguing motions, selecting juries, and delivering opening statements and closing arguments. John is undefeated in jury trials where he has been in the lead. John’s recent trials reflect the range of his practice. In 2024, John was a member of the trial team in a patent infringement case in the Eastern District of Texas that secured an $847 million verdict against Verizon Wireless. In 2019 and 2023, John was lead trial counsel (together with his partner Steve Derringer) in patent infringement cases where he and the trial team obtained two separate $100+ million plaintiff verdicts (one in the Central District of California and the other in Delaware).

In 2018, John was lead trial counsel for Students for Fair Admissions in its three-week trial against Harvard University concerning Harvard's discrimination against Asian-American applicants.

In 2017, John was lead trial counsel for UroPep, the plaintiff in a patent infringement jury trial against Eli Lilly in the Eastern District of Texas. John delivered the opening statement, closing argument, and examined numerous witnesses. The jury returned a verdict for UroPep, awarding $20 million in damages. John and his colleagues' victory was recognized by Law360.

In 2015, John was lead counsel for Amazon in a patent infringement jury trial concerning whether Amazon was liable for patent infringement when third-party sellers offer and sell infringing products on Amazon.com. John handled every aspect of the trial—conducting voir dire, delivering the opening statement, examining all the witnesses, arguing legal issues to the court, and delivering the closing argument. The jury returned a complete defense verdict for Amazon.

In 2014, John was co-lead counsel in a $50 million damages-only breach of contract trial in Colorado for Tyco. John and his colleagues won a major victory for Tyco, holding damages to roughly 10% of what plaintiffs were seeking by convincing the jury to award the damages number sponsored by the defense.

John also has significant experience preparing cases for trial. He has taken over 200 depositions, briefed and argued dispositive motions, and worked with dozens of experts in disciplines ranging from digital rights management to structured finance to polymer chemistry to genetically modified crops to accounting and auditing standards.

Prior to joining Bartlit Beck, John clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas on the United States Supreme Court and Judge J. Michael Luttig on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The University of Chicago Law School, 2004, J.D., with High Honors

Order of the Coif

The University of Chicago Law Review

James Nelson Raymond Merit Scholarship

Wake Forest University, 1996, B.A., summa cum laude

Phi Beta Kappa

Presidential Scholar for Academics and Debate

Intercollegiate Debate Team: winner of the 1995 Rex-Copeland Award for the top-ranked debate team nationwide; semifinalist at the 1995 Intercollegiate National Debate Tournament