Education

  • Juris Doctor, Vanderbilt University Law School, 1988
    • Order of the Coif
  • Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Film/Radio/Television, Loyola Marymount University, 1985
    • magna cum laude

John Alan Doran has more than 25 years of experience counseling and successfully representing employers in all facets of labor and employment law matters.

John regularly represents employers in mass employment, wage/hour class and collective action litigation, as well as employment discrimination, public accommodations discrimination, and wrongful termination litigation. He also represents management in areas of traditional labor law, including the defense of unfair labor practices charges, the orchestration of campaigns to prevent workplace unionization, representation proceedings, and arbitrations. In addition, John represents employers in restrictive covenant and trade secret matters in state and federal courts. He also regularly counsels clients on prevention strategies, executive employment contracts, downsizing, personnel policies, and merger/acquisition employment issues.

Experience

  • Represents employers in mass employment and wage/hour class and collective action litigation; employment discrimination and wrongful termination litigation; trade secret, unfair competition, restrictive covenant and employee loyalty litigation.
  • Obtained countless awards of summary judgment on behalf of employers in employment and wrongful discharge cases in several state and federal courts.
  • Counsels clients on prevention strategies, executive employment contracts, downsizing, qui tam and government contractor obligations, personnel policies and disciplinary issues.
  • Argued multiple cases to the Arizona Supreme Court and the Arizona Court of Appeals, as well as the federal appellate system.
  • Appeals have covered workers’ compensation, immigration, civil rights, free speech/free exercise, sexual harassment, employment discrimination, commercial real estate contracts, international arbitration of antitrust disputes, employee benefits, and safety and health.

Publications & Presentations

PRESS

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

PRESENTATIONS

  • AI Concerns for Employers
    LEAP 2024 | March 20 – 22, 2024
  • The Year in Review, and Then Some
    AZ HR Hub | October 2019
  • Five Star Investigations: How to Protect Your Investigations from Judges and Juries
    Annual Arizona Labor & Employment Conference | September 2019
  • Lessons From In-House Counsel
    Panel Leader, Annual Arizona Labor & Employment Conference | September 2019
  • The Duty to Accommodate in the Workplace
    Labor and Employment Advanced Program | May 2019
  • Opioids and Marijuana: Coping with a Workplace Quagmire
    Wolters Kluwer CLE Roundtable Webinar | May 2019
  • Gold Star Investigations
    Annual Colorado Labor & Employment Law Conference | May 2019
  • Labor and Employment Law Legal Update
    East Valley SHRM of Greater Phoenix | April 2019
  • 2018 H.R. Darwin Awards: Learning from the Mistakes of Others, So You Don’t Go Extinct
    Annual Colorado Labor & Employment Law Conference | May 2018
  • Arizona Law Focus – Trade Secrets
    Arizona Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) | September 2017
  • Retaliation Checklist and Updates
    • Annual Colorado Labor & Employment Law Conference | May 2017
    • Annual Arizona Labor & Employment Law Conference | April 2017
  • Arizona Potpourri
    Annual Arizona Labor & Employment Law Conference | April 2017
  • Independent Contractors: You’re Doing it Wrong
    Arizona Construction Law Seminar | October 2016
  • The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: 2015 And Q1 2016 In Review
    • Colorado Labor & Employment Law Conference Agenda | May 2016
    • Arizona Labor & Employment Seminar | April 2016
  • The Current Landscape for Employers: Lessons from Recent EEOC and Labor Cases
    Annual Arizona Labor & Employment Seminar | April 2015

Professional Activities

  • Defense Research Institute
  • American Employment Law Council
  • Arizona, American and Federal Bar Associations
  • Arizona Celtic Bar Association
  • National Society for Human Resource Management
  • Society for Human Resource Management of Greater Phoenix
  • Board Member Ex Officio, Arizona Manufacturers Council
  • Charter Member, Management Labor & Employment Roundtable
  • Editorial Board, Arizona Employment Law Handbook
  • Editor, Lexis Arizona Employment Law Advisor
  • Contributing Author, BNA Wage & Hour Laws: A State-by-State Survey
  • Former Editorial Advisory Board, Employment Law360
  • Former Lawyer Representative, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference

 

CIVIC ACTIVITIES

  • Former Board of Directors, Actors Theatre of Phoenix
    • Produces professional theater using local talent.

Highlights

  • Best Lawyers in America, Phoenix
    • Appellate Practice (2021-2024)
    • Employment Law: Management (2021-2024)
    • Labor Law: Management (2021-2024)
    • Litigation: Labor and Employment (2007-2024)
    • Qui Tam Law (2007-2024)
  • Super Lawyers, “Top 50 Lawyers – Labor & Employment,” Arizona (2021-2022)
  • Super Lawyers, “Top 50 Lawyers,” Southwest (2014-2021)
  • Super Lawyers, “Super Lawyer – Labor & Employment,” Southwest (2007-2020, 2022)
  • Chambers USA, Band 1, Labor & Employment, Arizona (2005-2023)
  • AZ Business Magazine, “Top 100 Lawyers,” Arizona (2018)
  • AZ Business Magazine, “AZ Business Leaders” (2015, 2018-2020)
  • AZ Business Magazine, “Top 100 Lawyers” (2014-2017)
  • ACQ Magazine, “Labor Lawyer of the Year” (2016)
  • College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Fellow (2015)
  • Finance Monthly, “Attorney of the Year,” Labor & Employment, Arizona (2015)
  • CorporateINTL, “Labor Lawyer of the Year,” Arizona (2013)
  • Best Lawyers in America, “Lawyer of the Year,” Labor Law-Management, Arizona (2012)
  • Arizona’s Finest Lawyers (2011)
  • Arizona Bar Association, “Best of the Bar,” Labor and Employment Law (2003-2005)
  • Martindale-Hubbell, “AV Rated”
  • Litigation Counsel of America, Senior Fellow