John Podesta is a litigation attorney with national trial counsel, mediation, and litigation management experience. John is licensed in California and Nevada, and has handled cases in state and federal courts throughout California and in Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. The primary focus of John’s practice lies in insurance coverage and bad faith related to construction projects as well as landlord-tenant and general civil litigation. His command of the business cycle, from drafting contracts and agreements to risk management and insurance advisory to construction- and post-construction-owned real estate, makes him an invaluable collaborator across industries and practice areas. In his 34-year legal career, John has handled a wide variety of litigated and transactional matters, resolving issues quickly and smoothly to help clients achieve their goals cost-effectively.

John is adept at navigating the interplay between insurance recovery and liability, giving him a perspective in the world of commercial disputes that enables him to see “outside the box” to create a litigation or resolution strategy that addresses all the client’s needs while achieving lasting settlements. For cases involving bad faith – in which outsized damage amounts can seriously cripple a company – John mounts a particularly aggressive defense and has established an enviable record of success. Whatever the capacity, he prides himself on responsiveness, the thoroughness and quality of his work product, and his ability to provide clients with highly personalized service.

John’s clients are located throughout the United States, and he is a member of the London Market team, representing London clients in defense and insurance coverage matters.

Areas of Focus

Insurance
More than three decades of experience in the insurance field characterizes John as aggressive and practical, with knowledge across the industry from contract language drafting, through insurance agents’ professional liability, policy underwriting and issuance, and claim handling. As a former claims supervisor for a major insurer and as an insurance investigator prior to practicing law, and since representing and consulting for private clients as well as insurers, John brings a “bottom-line” perspective to insurance coverage and bad faith matters as well as to his commercial and defense work.

Landlord-Tenant
John brings his insurance and construction experience to the landlord-tenant arena, where there can be issues of overlapping coverage, construction and building conditions, and contract interpretation in the context of a body of law that is unique and tailored for landlords and tenants. He has litigated and given coverage advice to landlords and their insurers in habitability claims, wrongful eviction and nuisance cases in rent-controlled San Francisco and Alameda counties.

Construction
Construction claims can have complex insurance, claims handling and professional liability overtones. John’s keen grasp of the components of the construction cycle – from drafting documents to risk management to insurance issues – makes his counsel especially valuable. John actively litigates and counsels clients in contract drafting and negotiation, construction claims and liens, construction accidents, and defect claims. In addition, he has handled litigated and non-litigated matters involving primary and excess GL insurance, OCIPs and CCIPs, Builders Risk, and Pollution Liability insurance.

Casualty
Casualty defense requires a focused analytical approach and a carefully conceived resolution plan designed to determine likely exposure, identify options and ultimately conclude in outcomes that adhere to prescribed guidelines. John understands how best to take a case through trial or early resolution, and he has successfully resolved a variety of defense cases, from fire damage to construction site accidents and from slip-and-falls to habitability claims.

    Education

    • University of San Francisco School of Law (J.D., 1991)
    • University of California, Berkeley (A.B. in Legal Studies, 1983)

    Bar Admissions

    • California
    • Nevada

    Court Admissions

    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
    • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
    • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
    • U.S. District Court, District of Nevada

    Professional Affiliations

    • Member, International Association of Defense Counsel
    • American Bar Association, co-chair, Insurance Coverage Subcommittee of the Construction Litigation Committee
    • Co-committee chair for Construction Insurance Sub-committee of the American Bar Association
    • Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee
    • Member, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
    • San Mateo County Bar Association

    Awards & Honors

    • Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®, 2025-2026
    • Selected for inclusion in San Francisco Super Lawyers®, 2024
    • AV® Preeminent® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
    • Selected for inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers, 2014–2025

John H. Podesta

John Podesta is a litigation attorney with national trial counsel, mediation, and litigation management experience. John is licensed in California and Nevada, and has handled cases in state and federal courts throughout California and in Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. The primary focus of John’s practice lies in insurance coverage and bad faith related to construction projects as well as landlord-tenant and general civil litigation. His command of the business cycle, from drafting contracts and agreements to risk management and insurance advisory to construction- and post-construction-owned real estate, makes him an invaluable collaborator across industries and practice areas. In his 34-year legal career, John has handled a wide variety of litigated and transactional matters, resolving issues quickly and smoothly to help clients achieve their goals cost-effectively.

John is adept at navigating the interplay between insurance recovery and liability, giving him a perspective in the world of commercial disputes that enables him to see “outside the box” to create a litigation or resolution strategy that addresses all the client’s needs while achieving lasting settlements. For cases involving bad faith – in which outsized damage amounts can seriously cripple a company – John mounts a particularly aggressive defense and has established an enviable record of success. Whatever the capacity, he prides himself on responsiveness, the thoroughness and quality of his work product, and his ability to provide clients with highly personalized service.

John’s clients are located throughout the United States, and he is a member of the London Market team, representing London clients in defense and insurance coverage matters.

Events

John Podesta is a litigation attorney with national trial counsel, mediation, and litigation management experience. John is licensed in California and Nevada, and has handled cases in state and federal courts throughout California and in Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. The primary focus of John’s practice lies in insurance coverage and bad faith related to construction projects as well as landlord-tenant and general civil litigation. His command of the business cycle, from drafting contracts and agreements to risk management and insurance advisory to construction- and post-construction-owned real estate, makes him an invaluable collaborator across industries and practice areas. In his 34-year legal career, John has handled a wide variety of litigated and transactional matters, resolving issues quickly and smoothly to help clients achieve their goals cost-effectively.

John is adept at navigating the interplay between insurance recovery and liability, giving him a perspective in the world of commercial disputes that enables him to see “outside the box” to create a litigation or resolution strategy that addresses all the client’s needs while achieving lasting settlements. For cases involving bad faith – in which outsized damage amounts can seriously cripple a company – John mounts a particularly aggressive defense and has established an enviable record of success. Whatever the capacity, he prides himself on responsiveness, the thoroughness and quality of his work product, and his ability to provide clients with highly personalized service.

John’s clients are located throughout the United States, and he is a member of the London Market team, representing London clients in defense and insurance coverage matters.

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