John T. Bender

John Bender is a partner in the firm's Commercial Disputes and White Collar Defense and Investigations practice groups, where he focuses his practice on winning high stakes legal disputes for his clients and providing strategic advice for boards and executives. 

Clients hire John because he understands how both sides think and he knows how to win. In 2025, John was honored with the prestigious Outstanding Plaintiff’s Trial Lawyer of the Year Award by Washington Defense Trial Lawyers. He was selected by Benchmark Litigation to its "40 & Under List...the guide to the best and brightest litigators under 40 in the US" in both 2024 and 2025. He has been ranked by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America every year since 2021. 

John has represented public and private companies, investors, and executives in cases involving exposure in the tens and hundreds of millions of dollars in complex commercial litigation and investigations. John prosecutes and defends high-profile, bet-the-company matters involving a range of issues, including breach of contract, securities, partnership and shareholder disputes, corporate governance, class actions, claims of fraud and embezzlement, unfair or deceptive practices, franchising, real estate development, supply chain disputes, and intellectual property including trade secrets. John’s cases have been covered in major publications, including TIME Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Puget Sound Business Journal, and The Seattle Times.

John regularly defends companies and executives in enforcement matters involving local, state, and federal regulatory agencies including WA DFI, SEC, and state attorneys general. He also handles matters involving internal investigations, reputational harm, and strategic advice. John’s practice as a litigator and trusted advisor covers a wide range of sectors and industries, from financial services, manufacturing, and real estate, to energy, emerging technologies such as digital assets and AI, raw materials, and entertainment.  

John has substantial experience using complex litigation, or the credible threat of litigation, to promote his clients’ business objectives in venture capital, private equity, sale, merger and other deal-related contexts. John’s transaction-related experience includes defending, blocking, and enforcing transactions in court, as well as advising clients on strategies to avoid litigation. 

John successfully represented major stakeholders in two of the largest cases of investment fraud of record in Pacific Northwest history, in which creditors asserted nearly US$1 billion in total losses combined. John served as court-appointed “special counsel” and lead trial lawyer in both cases, in which his clients’ prevailed in establishing both companies operated nine-figure Ponzi schemes. John’s work in these cases included significant collaboration with WA DFI, DOJ, SEC, SBA OIG, FDIC OIG, and IRS OIG.

John has a substantial record of thought leadership and pro bono service in the broader community. He is a member of the Washington Technology Industry Association's Advanced Technology Advisory Board and Blockchain Council. He served on the Washington blockchain workgroup sponsored by the Washington State Department of Commerce. He is a past volunteer and speaker for the City of Seattle's New Citizen Campaign. He is a past board member and chair of the WSBA’s Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Board. He also sits on King County’s judicial conferencing and judicial officers survey committees.

John received a B.A. from Seattle University, a J.D. from University of Washington, and an LL.M. from the University of California, Berkeley.