Practice Areas: Business Litigation, Personal Injury, Intellectual Property Litigation; view more
Licensed in California since: 1987
Education: The University of Michigan Law School
Languages Spoken: English, Japanese
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2012 - 2025 Call today:
626-714-3017
Walton Law Group, P.C.
225 E Santa Clara StSuite 230
Arcadia, CA 91006 Visit website
Details
John R. Walton is well known in Southern California as a business and intellectual property litigator, and also as an advocate for personal injury plaintiffs. In his career with the Walton Law Group, P.C., he has amassed an impressive list of achievements in a variety of legal matters.
Mr. Walton has secured many multimillion-dollar judgments and settlements for clients in disputes over patent rights, trade secrets, trademarks, copyright, business torts, breach of contract, shareholder disputes and partnership dissolutions, and catastrophic personal injuries. In a case that exemplifies his ingenuity and skills, Mr. Walton won a verdict for his client totaling $14.4 million after a three-week jury trial, despite having been retained barely two weeks before the start of the trial.
Mr. Walton received his Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and went on to earn a law degree with honors from the University of Michigan Law School. Having already spent a year in high school and a year and a half in college studying in Japan, Mr. Walton returned there after law school to earn a Master of Laws degree from Kyoto University in Kyoto, Japan. He is fluent in spoken and written Japanese, and has represented many Japanese clients in litigation in California courts.
Admitted to the practice of law in California, Mr. Walton has served the profession as a member of the executive committee of the International Law Section of the State Bar of California. His contributions to his community include volunteering as a leader in the Cub Scouts.
Among other honors he has received during the course of his legal career, Mr. Walton has been named as one of the top lawyers in the region by Pasadena Magazine, and likewise included among the top-rated lawyers in Southern California by The American Lawyer magazine. He has also been recognized for excellence in trial advocacy by the mayor of Lancaster, California.
His clients include other lawyers (including partners in international law firms), members of famous families, small- to mid-sized businesses, entrepreneurs who started life in a different country using a different language, and also a general assortment of individuals who have suffered injury or injustice. Most clients are referred by other lawyers; approximately half of them are later referred by lawyers who were previously Mr. Walton's opposing counsel on another matter.
Practice areas
Business Litigation, Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Intellectual Property LitigationFocus areas
Animal Bites, Assault, Brain Injury, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Non-Compete Agreements, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Slip and Fall, Trade Secret, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 50% Business Litigation
- 30% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 20% Intellectual Property Litigation
First Admitted: 1987, California
Professional Webpage: https://waltonlawgroup.com/attorneys/
- Selected as one of the top attorneys in Pasadena area., Top Attorney, Pasadena Magazine
- Super Lawyers, Thompson-Reuters, 2023
- Recognized for excellence in trial advocacy after jury verdict of $14 million., Certificate of Excellence in Trial Advocacy, Mayor of Lancaster, 2012
- Selected as Top-Rated Lawyer (Southern California), Top Rated Lawyer, American Lawyer
- TMW Corp.
- Crown Acquisition Fund, 2019
- Panda Development & Construction
- Kuni Research Int'l.
- Mischioff AG.
- Hollywood Sound Int'l.
- Superior Real Estate
- Bank of Kentucky
- Kormann Rockster Recycler GmbH.
- DK Art
- Casch Copenhagen
- GNC
- California, 1987
- Executive Committee, International Law Section, California State Bar, 1998
- Masters of Law, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan., Japanese Ministry of Education Fellowship, 1990
- University of Michigan Law School, J.D. cum laude, 1987
- Stanford University, A.B., 1984
- Obtained complete reversal in Court of Appeal of trial court's grant of summary judgment as to client's claims for millions of dollars of unpaid dividends during pendency of Section 2000 involuntary dissolution proceeding. Case involves novel issues of first impression in California. Defendants currently seeking review before California Supreme Court., 2024
- Obtained six-figure recovery against owner and manager of residential property on behalf of additional permitted occupant attacked by guests of neighbor tenant., 2024
- Successful representation of minority shareholder against squeeze-out by majority owners, procuring substantial recovery by forced buyback of stock. , 2023
- Obtained 100% recovery including attorneys' fees for corporation on indemnity agreement., 2023
- Procured complete dismissal of neighbor complaint over non-permitted construction and claimed damage to trees., 2021
- Six-figure recovery for dog bite to finger., 2021
- Achieved complete success in partnership dispute over ownership of multiple properties., 2020
- Obtained judgment of dismissal by successive demurrers against claims of oral and implied partnership, and quantum meruit. Successfully crafted creative arguments based upon judicial estoppel and unclean hands, which the court itself adopted., 2019
- Successfully defended against insurance carrier's action for reimbursement of Buss fees. Shortly before trial, carrier conceded and dismissed voluntarily., 2018
- Obtained complete victory before trial in dispute over large portfolio of real estate against claims of oral and implied partnership, as well as Marvin v. Marvin claims., 2017
- Obtained multi-million dollar settlement in favor of shareholder client making Ahmanson claims against former partner., 2017
- Obtained substantial recovery on eve of trial based upon claim of implied partnership, agency, and alter ego., 2017
- Procured a six-figure recovery on behalf of an owner of commercial real property based on claims for failure of broker to draft leases correctly and to collect the correct amounts owed. Despite the fact the claims were some 15 years old, successfully argued for tolling and estoppel to assert statute of limitations. In the course of representation, also uncovered and proved fraudulent alteration of transaction documents, 2016
- Obtained jury verdict of 3x defense's pretrial settlement offer in dog bite case, as well as court order awarding sanctions of some $3,000 against insurance defense counsel and order that requests for admissions be deemed admitted by defendant., 2016
- After more than two years of litigation and negotiation, successfully resolved a multi-party, multi-action dispute involving the estate of a prominent musician, with claims of forgery, breach of fiduciary duty and elder abuse. Client's recovery was nearly 100%., 2016
- On the eve of trial, successfully negotiated settlement that required Regents of University of California to honor their promise to preserve a Japanese garden named in honor of plaintiffs' deceased mother. The settlement included payment of $400,000 in attorneys' fees despite there being no contract providing for recovery of attorney's fees., 2015
- Litigated and favorably resolved contruction defect litigation claim on behalf of prominent Southern California college., 2015
- In a bitter, internecine fight for corporate control lasting five years, the company at issue terminated the employment of Walton's clients and sued them for breach of fiduciary duty, demanding more than $2 million in damages. The clients counter-claimed against the majority shareholder for breach of fiduciary based upon an implied joint venture and abuse of control by the majority shareholder. Most of the client-defendants were dismissed completely by means of demurrer, and all claims against the remaining two were dismissed with prejudice for a waiver of costs. The counterclaims were then tried in arbitration, subject to a stipulated high-low award that guaranteed a victory to Walton's clients. After 11 hearing days, the arbitrator awarded the stipulated maximum in damages and also found that Walton had successfully proven the existence an implied joint venture even without any express oral or written agreement. The end result was that the clients were completely vindicated of the accusations against them, and were also compensated for their losses., 2014
- Obtained writ reversal directing trial court to vacate order compelling judicial reference in favor of order finding it had been waived by plaintiff having filed suit first., 2014
- Successfully argued the first published appellate authority in California to consider whether an attorney may represent a shareholder who simultaneously pursues both derivative and direct claims., 2013
- Retained as defense trial counsel three weeks before re-trial of employment case that previously resulted in a $1.1 million plaintiff verdict. As a result of motions in limine and arguments at final status conference, maximum possible verdict for plaintiff was reduced to $60,000. Case settled same day., 2013
- Obtained federal court judgment for willful Lanham Act violations, awarding $5.6 million in damages and injunctive relief, plus award of attorneys' fees., 2013
- Obtained injunction against attempts by the Regents of the University of California to sell a landmark Japanese garden they had promised to preserve; affirmed on appeal., 2013
- Retained as trial counsel barely two weeks before trial. After three-week trial, jury returned a $14.4 million verdict against all defendants, comprised of awarding client ownership of property valued at $6 million plus $8.4 million in compensatory damages., 2012
- Obtained two judgments of non-dischargeability in Bankruptcy Court for willful trademark infringement and breach of fiduciary duty., 2012
- Obtained 3-0 affirmance on appeal of preliminary injuction against Regents of University of California's attempts to sell a property containing a landmark Japanese garden they had promised to preserve in perpetuity., 2012
- Obtained order vacating default judgment more than six months after entry based upon defects in service of process, affirmed on appeal. In related case, procured complete dismissal of all claims against client plus an award of attorneys' fees for the prior appeal under FRCP 41(d), 2012
- Obtained judgment of disinheritance and award of attorneys' fees in probate dispute. Obtained vacation of judgment against foreign national based upon novel interpretation of the Hague Convention. Obtained dismissal of clients in complex breach of fiduciary duty case, 2011
- Co-lead counsel in Kara Technology v. Stamps.com, $120 million patent case resulting in verdict in client's favor after three-week jury trial., 2010
- Obtained judgment against petitioner in Probate Court after 5-day trial. Based on proof that purported amendment to trust was forged, client's petition to disinherit petitioner was granted, 2010
- After three-week trial, obtained defense judgment on contract and securities claims, and award of $1.8 million plus attorneys' fees on cross-complaint for usury and alter ego liability (based largely on admissions from cross-examination)., 2009
- Co-lead counsel in trade secrets and patent ownership case involving diesel emission reduction technology. Case settled during arbitration for confidential amount, 2008
- Obtained terminating sanctions and multi-million dollar judgment (upheld on appeal) in favor of foreign investor in U.S. company, including findings of alter ego liability., 2007
- In partnership dispute involving complex commercial real estate interests, avoided litigation by staged series of corporate actions leading to sale of the asset and eventual agreement among partners., 2016
- Successfully avoided shareholder dispute by negotiating and implementing MBO of corporation without need for litigation., 2012
Office location for John R. Walton
225 E Santa Clara St
Suite 230
Arcadia, CA 91006
Phone: 626-714-3017
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2012 - 2025
