John C. Cook

Top rated Employment Litigation attorney in Fairfax, Virginia

Cook Legal Solutions
John C. Cook
Cook Legal Solutions

Practice areas: Employment Litigation, Employment & Labor, Business Litigation; view more

Licensed in Virginia since: 1995

Education: The George Washington University Law School

Selected to Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2007, 2011 - 2026

Cook Legal Solutions

3975 University Drive
Suite 360
Fairfax, VA 22030 Visit website
Details

John C. Cook is the founder of Cook Legal Solutions in Fairfax, Virginia, and a seasoned attorney whose career has been shaped by a deep commitment to public service and problem-solving. He approaches his work with a simple guiding principle: finding meaningful ways each day to help others navigate complex legal challenges and move forward with clarity and confidence.

Mr. Cook focuses his practice on representing executives, employees and small businesses in a wide range of employment law matters. He regularly provides strategic advice on workplace disputes, contracts and compliance issues, helping clients make informed decisions before conflicts escalate. In addition to his employment law practice, he maintains an active docket in personal injury and commercial litigation, and handles diverse civil matters such as defamation, breach of contract, stalking and malicious prosecution.

Mr. Cook began his legal career in the District of Columbia’s Office of the Corporation Counsel, now known as the Office of the Attorney General. Over the years, he has built a reputation as both a skilled litigator and a trusted neutral. He has served as a mediator for the District of Columbia Superior Court and as a conciliator for the Fairfax County Circuit Court, roles that strengthened his ability to resolve disputes efficiently and fairly. His dedication to mediation continues today as a certified mediator for the General District Courts of Virginia and an active leader within the Virginia Mediation Network, where he serves on the Board of Directors and as President-Elect.

Beyond his legal practice, Mr. Cook devoted significant time to public service, including 11 years as a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. He has also lectured extensively and authored articles on employment law and civil litigation topics, sharing his knowledge with both legal and community audiences.

Mr. Cook is admitted to practice in multiple state and federal courts, including Virginia, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for both the 4th Circuit and the District of Columbia Circuit. He earned his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Gettysburg College and his Juris Doctor from The George Washington University. For more than 25 years, he has maintained an AV Preeminent* paper-review rating through Martindale-Hubbell, reflecting the high regard of his peers for his professionalism and legal ability.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.

Practice areas

Employment Litigation: Plaintiff, Employment & Labor: Employee, Business Litigation

Focus areas

Employment Law - Employee, Non-Compete Agreements, Sexual Harassment, Trade Secret, Wage & Hour Laws

  • 40% Employment Litigation: Plaintiff
  • 40% Employment & Labor: Employee
  • 20% Business Litigation

First Admitted: 1989, New York

Professional Webpage: https://cooklegalsolutions.com/our-team/

Bar / Professional Activity

  • District of Columbia Superior Court, Civil Division Mediator, 2001-2013
  • Fairfax County Circuit Court, Former Conciliator
  • District of Columbia, 1990
  • Fairfax County Bar Association, Employment Law Section; Member Since: 1998; Section Co-Chair, 2020-2021; Section Chair, 2003-04
  • Virginia State Bar, Labor and Employment Law Section; Member Since: 1998; Section Council, 2009-2014
  • Certified Mediator for the General District Courts of Virginia, 2021
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, 1991
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 1997
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 1998
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1998
  • Commonwealth of Virginia, 1995
  • National Employment Lawyers Association, Member Since: 2013
  • Virginia Mediation Network, Member Since: 2022, Board of Directors, 2022-Present; Current President-Elect
  • Member, Virginia State Bar
  • Former Chair, Fairfax County Bar Association's Employment Law Section
  • New York, 1989
  • Section Council, Virginia Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section

Special Licenses / Certifications

  • Certified Mediator for the General District Courts of Virginia since 2021

Pro bono / Community Service

  • Northern Virginia Transportation Commission
  • INOVA Health Care System, Member, Health Care System Board of Trustees, 2016-2019; Member, Fairfax Hospital Quality Board, 2016-2019
  • Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, 2010-2019; Chair, Governance Committee, 2017
  • Northern Virginia Regional Commission, 2009-2019; Treasurer, 2016-2019
  • Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Operations Board; 2010-2019; Chair, 2015
  • Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Braddock District Supervisor; 2009-2019; Chair, Public Safety Committee, 2016-2019
  • Council to End Domestic Violence, Fairfax County, 2013-2024; Accountability Workgroup, Chair, 2022-2024; Chair, 2016-2020
  • Fairfax County Diversion First Program, 2016-2023; Chair, Stakeholders Group, 2020-2023
  • Celebrate Fairfax, Inc. Board of Directors, 2022-present
  • Northern Virginia Regional Commission
  • Executive Board, Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Operations Board

Educational Background

  • Gettysburg College, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, 1985, Phi Beta Kappa

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

  • “Risk Management Issues,” CNA Expo, 1998
  • “Indemnification and Additional Insureds” to the commercial claims branch of the CNA Insurance Companies, 1998
  • “Title VII Filing Deadlines and Exhaustion Requirements Post- Dodge,” Fairfax Bar Association Employment Law Section, March 2000
  • “Achieving Settlement and Avoiding Summary Judgment in Employment Law Cases,” Fairfax Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Expo, October 2000
  • “Employment Lawyers Assess the Impact of Reeves Lifeboat or Mirage,” The Journal of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, 2001
  • “Advanced Civil Discovery for the Litigation Paralegal in Virginia,” National Business Institute, 2002
  • “Employment Law Update,” Half Moon Seminars, 2002
  • “Points to Consider in Settling Employment Law Cases,” Virginia CLE Annual Employment Law Update, May 2003
  • “Trying Your First Civil Case in Virginia,” National Business Institute, 2003
  • “Winning Deposition Strategies,” National Business Institute, 2004
  • “Winning your First Civil Trial in Virginia,” National Business Institute, May 2005
  • “Litigation: The Initial Phase,” Virginia CLE Annual Employment Law Update, May 2006
  • “Screening Requests For Help With Employment Issues,” Fairfax Pro Bono Program and Employment Law Section, May 2006
  • “Small Office Management for the Legal Professional,” National Business Institute, October 2006
  • “The FMLA from the Perspective of Plaintiff’s Counsel,” Fairfax Bar Association Employment Law Section, May 2007
  • “Human Resource Law,” National Business Institute, October 2007
  • “Evolving Theories of Recovery,” Virginia CLE Annual Employment Law Update, May 2008
  • “Effective Discovery Techniques” and “Working with Expert Witnesses,” National Business Institute, October 2008
  • “Business and Employment Torts: Just Sue Me,” Virginia Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section Conference, October 2008
  • “ADA Amendments: Adjusting to the New Terrain,” Virginia Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section Conference, October 2009
  • “Pushing the Envelope: Emerging Plaintiffs’ Theories,” Virginia Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section Conference, October 2010
  • Frequent Lecturer and Published Articles on Civil Litigation and Employment Law Issues
  • “Admissibility Questions” and “Handling Email, Social Media and Other ESI,” The Rules of Evidence: A Practical Toolkit, National Business Institute, December 2015
  • “Wage and Benefits Issues” and “FMLA and Other Leave Issues,” National Business Institute, February 2017
  • “Plaintiff’s Theory of an Effective Employment Case,” Virginia Continuing Legal Education Annual Employment Law Update, May 2017
  • “Key Discovery and Evidence Issues in Employment Litigation” and “Employee Benefits Basics,” National Business Institute, September 2017
  • “Legal Ethics: Best Practices for Dealing with Clients,” National Business Institute, March 2018
  • “Alternative Dispute Resolution” and “Wage and Benefit Issues,” Human Resource Law From Start to Finish, National Business Institute , February 2019
  • “Employment Law Update,” Association of Legal Administrators, Northern Virginia Chapter, Monthly Meeting, May 2019
  • “Update on Employment Law in the Era of COVID-19,” Association of Legal Administrators, Northern Virginia Chapter, Monthly Meeting, June 2020
  • “Worried About Returning to Work in a Coronavirus World?” CCF Ask Us Anything Zoom Community Meeting, June 2020
  • “Requirements, Regulations, and Risks Facing Businesses in the Age of COVID,” TIPS II Lead Share Group of the Tysons, August 2020
  • “Virginia Employment Law CLE,” Fairfax Bar Association, September 2020
  • “Me Too: Evidence in Employment Litigation: Pursuing Admission or Exclusion of Propensity Evidence,” Strafford Publications, November 2020
  • “Plaintiff’s Guide: Virginia Personal Injury from Start to Finish”, National Business Institute, September 2022
  • “VA Personal Injury Litigation: Secrets Only the Top Attorneys Know”, National Business Institute 2023
  • “Are you Taking that Case?” Virginia Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Conference, September 2024

Honors

  • "Top Lawyers" List, Washingtonian Magazine, 2023
  • Top Attorneys List, Northern Virginia Magazine, 2025
  • Super Lawyers® Magazine- “Super Lawyers®” List, 2006-2007, 2011-2025.
  • Outstanding Faculty Award- Nation Business Institute, 2023
  • "Top Attorneys" List, Northern Virginia Magazine, 2022
  • "Top Attorneys" List, Northern Virginia Magazine, 2021
  • "Top Attorneys" List in Employment (Employees), Arlington Magazine, 2022
  • "Top Attorneys" List, Northern Virginia Magazine, 2020
  • "Top Attorneys" List in Employment (Employees), Arlington Magazine, 2019
  • "Top Attorneys" List, Northern Virginia Magazine, 2016
  • "Top Attorneys" List in the DC Metropolitan Area, Washington Post, 2014
  • "Top Attorneys" List in the DC Metropolitan Area, Washington Post, 2013
  • Virginia's "Legal Elite" List, Virginia Business Magazine, 2006
  • Virginia's "Legal Elite" List, Virginia Business Magazine, 2005
  • Virginia's "Legal Elite" List, Virginia Business Magazine, 2004

Office location for John C. Cook

3975 University Drive
Suite 360
Fairfax, VA 22030

Phone: 703-962-4768

Selections

18 Years Super Lawyers
  • Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2007, 2011 - 2026

Top Lists

Top 100: Virginia Super Lawyers: 2025 - 2026

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