Practice Areas
Education
- J.D., cum laude, Order of the Coif, 1977, University of Pennsylvania Law School
- Ph.D., 1972, Duke University (Economics)
- B.A., 1968, Northwestern University
Admissions to Practice
- Delaware, 1977
John is a member of the Delaware Corporate Law Counseling Group. He provides advice and formal legal opinions on Delaware law matters relating to a wide variety of transactions. Like the other members of the Corporate Counseling Group, he is often called upon to provide guidance for structuring those transactions so as to avoid potential Delaware statutory or fiduciary roadblocks and to minimize the litigation risks in those transactions to corporate parties and their directors and officers. He also regularly advises corporate governance committees of board of directors and other corporate constituencies with respect to corporate governance issues, including issues raised by stockholder initiatives, and he often counsels boards of directors and board committees, including special committees of directors appointed to conduct internal investigations or to negotiate mergers or other significant interested transactions involving controlling stockholders or directors.
Noteworthy
Selected as one of the leading M&A lawyers by the Legal Media Group's Guide to the World's Leading Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyers (2008)
Chambers USA: Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers For Business (2005-2008)
Best Lawyers in America (2006, 2007)
Lawdragon Dealmakers (2007)
Who’s Who Legal (2006, 2007)
News
- 26 Morris Nichols Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2010: Firm Earns Seven #1 Rankings in Delaware
The Best Lawyers in America 2010 has ranked Morris Nichols #1 in Delaware in seven practice areas and has named 26 Morris Nichols attorneys to its The Best Lawyers in America 2010 list. - Chambers USA 2009 Names 20 Morris Nichols Attorneys and Five Practice Groups as Best in Delaware
Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business today ranked twenty Morris Nichols’ attorneys and five practice groups as best in Delaware. - 18 Morris Nichols Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in Super Lawyers – Delaware Edition 2009
Super Lawyers® magazine has named 18 Morris Nichols attorneys as top legal counsel in Delaware for 2009, three more than were listed in 2008. - Lawdragon Names Three Morris Nichols Attorneys Among Top 500 Lawyers in America; Ten Selected as 2008 Finalists
Morris Nichols partners Rick Alexander, Bill Lafferty and Ken Nachbar have been named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America 2008 guide, an independent listing of the nation’s most elite attorneys. - Four Morris Nichols Partners Named To Lawdragon 500 "Leading Dealmakers" List
Frederick H. Alexander, Lewis S. Black, Jr., John F. Johnston and A. Gilchrist Sparks, III, have been named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America list.
Notable Publications and Presentations
- James D. Honaker, John F. Johnston, Toys "R" Us And The Revlon Test, INSIGHTS, The Corporate & Securities Law Advisor (Aspen Law & Business, 2006)
- John F. Johnston and James D. Honaker, Thoughts on Deal Protection in Light of Toys "R" Us
- James D. Honaker, John F. Johnston, A New Approach To Deal Protection In Delaware, INSIGHTS, The Corporate & Securities Law Advisor (Aspen Law & Business, 2005)
- John F. Johnston, A Rubeophobic Delaware Counsel Marks Up Fiduciary Out Forms: Part II, INSIGHTS (2000)
- John F. Johnston, Putting ACE, Phelps Dodge and IXC Communications In Context, INSIGHTS (2000)
- Frederick H. Alexander, John F. Johnston, SEC Permits Exclusion of Binding Rights Plan Proposal, (February 18, 2000)
- John F. Johnston, A Rubeophobic Delaware Counsel Marks Up Fiduciary Out Forms: Part I, INSIGHTS (1999)
- Frederick H. Alexander, John F. Johnston, Delaware Chancery Court Labels No-Talk Provisions "Troubling", (September 28, 1999).
- Frederick H. Alexander, Andrew M. Johnston, John F. Johnston, Delaware Chancery Court Rulings on Fiduciary-Outs, (November 5, 1999).
- John F. Johnston, Recent Amendments to the Merger Sections of the DGCL Will Eliminate Some - But Not All - Fiduciary Out Negotiation and Drafting Issues, (Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. Mergers & Acquisitions, July 20, 1998)
- Frederick H. Alexander, John F. Johnston, Fiduciary Outs and Exclusive Merger Agreements - Delaware Law and Practice, INSIGHTS, The Corporate & Securities Law Advisor, Vol. 11, No. 2, 15-20 (Aspen Law & Business, 1997)
- John F. Johnston, Eric Wilensky, Vice Chancellor Strine Proposes Changes in Going-Private Standards of Review
Professional and Community Activities
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Delaware State Bar Association
- Member, Westminster Presbyterian Church Board of Trustees
- Member, Committee on Federal Regulation of Securities of the Business Law section of the American Bar Association