Overview
John J. Calandra represents clients in complex commercial litigation and formerly headed the New York Litigation Practice Group. He represents clients in litigations and arbitrations crossing many industries, including technology, chemicals, satellite, energy, financial products, outsourcing, hotel management, manufacturing and distribution.
John litigates a wide variety of cases, including securities and common law fraud, breach of contracts and long-term distributor and supply agreements, breach of fiduciary duties, environmental and product liability, negligent misrepresentation, breach of representations and warranties, accounting irregularities, wrongful terminations, antitrust violations, various claims arising from the sale of assets and businesses, and numerous class action lawsuits.
John has repeatedly served as a judge of Cornell Law School’s highly regarded Transactional Lawyers Competition, and has guest lectured at Fordham Law School on summary judgment tactics and procedures.
Results
- Representing the Unsecured Creditor’s Committee of Voyager Digital, a publicly traded cryptocurrency broker, in connection with an investigation of potential claims
- Obtained the complete dismissal from the SDNY of a class action complaint challenging a large technology company’s advertising of one of its products
- Successfully defended former CEO of Fortune 100 Company against derivative claims alleging breach of duty of loyalty
- Defeated a pair of preliminary injunction motions in federal court, which sought to enjoin changes to a retiree health care plan that was subject to a consent decree
- Won a motion for judgment on pleadings in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissing fraud claims relating to the plaintiff’s acquisition of the client’s business/assets
- Obtained dismissal of counterclaims against satellite service provider alleging tortious interference, unfair competition, trade secret violations, and breach of a non-disclosure agreement
- Won summary judgment in state court in Hawaii dismissing easement and water run-off claims brought by a neighboring landowner
- Successfully represented a leading oil company in connection with a mass tort and class action brought in state and federal courts seeking in excess of $1 billion in total damages relating to environmental contamination allegedly caused by a former refinery
- Successfully represented a multibillion-dollar holding company as an opt-out plaintiff in a federal securities action against a former auditor
Recognitions
- Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025
- Legal 500 US, 2021-2024
- Chambers USA, Commercial Disputes, 2021 and 2023-2024
- Winner of two American Jurisprudence Awards
- Order of the Coif
Community
- Trustee of City University of New York, 1996-2006 (appointed by the Governor and confirmed (twice) by the NYS Senate)
- Judge for Cornell Law School’s Annual Transactional Lawyers Competition (2012-2022)
- Fordham Law School, guest lecturer on summary judgment tactics and procedures
Credentials
Education
Cornell Law School, JD, magna cum laude, 1991
Columbia University, BA, 1988
Admissions
New York
Courts / Agencies
US District Court for the Eastern District of New York
US District Court for the Southern District of New York
US Court of Appeals Second Circuit
US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Court
