John P. Pucci

Biography:

John Pucci is a member of the firm's Litigation/Alternative Dispute Resolution Department and works in its Springfield and Boston offices. One of Massachusetts’ top trial lawyers, John represents clients in complex civil and criminal litigation of all kinds in both state and federal court as well as in responding to government investigations and in conducting corporate internal investigations. He has particular expertise in the areas of white collar criminal defense and state and federal regulatory agency matters.

John is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, both invitation-only organizations. He has earned a Martindale-Hubbell^® AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating™ and each year since 2005 has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^® in the areas of criminal defense (white collar and non-white collar). He has also been selected for inclusion in Boston Magazine's Massachusetts Super Lawyers list each year since 2005 and was named by the publication as one of the top 100 lawyers in Massachusetts from 2007 to 2009 and in 2012. John received the Department of Justice's Distinguished Service Award in 1991 for his trial work while in the Department of Justice.

John's public service includes serving since 1997 on the Criminal Justice Act Governing Board for the Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and sitting on Senators Kerry's and Kennedy's committees in 2011 and 2009, respectively, to recommend three federal judges, the U.S. Attorney, and the U.S. Marshal for Massachusetts. He also served in 2006 on a federal court committee to investigate qualifications of federal magistrates for reappointment. John is a board member of Hampshire County Bar Advocates, Inc. From 2008 to 2010, he served as the United Way Campaign’s co-coordinator for attorney fundraising.

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Related Professional Experience:

Prior to joining the firm in 2012, John was a partner for 17 years at Fierst, Pucci & Kane in Northampton. From 1990-1994, he was Chief of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Springfield, and from 1984-1990, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia.

John has taught numerous Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education seminars on various aspects of civil and criminal litigation, including: Fundamentals of Civil Motion Practice: Techniques & Strategies, Challenging Evidentiary Issues, Writing for the Courts, Employment Law Basics, Handling Depositions with Confidence, and Litigating Trade Secrets and Agreements Not to Compete.

Publications:

Co-author: “The Misinterpretation of the Park Doctrine as Creating Strict Liability.” The Food and Drug Law Institute: Update (November/December 2011).

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Representative Experience:

Since entering private practice in 1994, John has engaged in a broad array of civil and criminal litigation (click here for reported cases), including representation of:

A Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company in a grand jury investigation concerning alleged illegal payments to prescribing doctors;

A defendant in a multi-million dollar construction case in state court in which my client was granted summary judgment;

The Special Litigation Committee of a public company in multiple internal investigations;

A hospital in a significant HHS False Claims Act Investigation which was favorably resolved;

A plaintiff who suffered serious injuries in a premises liability case which was settled favorably in the midst of complex out-of-state insurance coverage litigation;

A municipality under Federal criminal investigation for violations of the Clean Water Act;

A series of defendants in a variety of Federal tax evasion cases;

A number of physicians against whom complaints have been filed with the Massachusetts Board of Medicine;

A defendant in a dispute over a commercial lease which was tried to verdict in the Massachusetts Superior Court after two weeks of trial;

A plaintiff in an accounting malpractice case which, after a lengthy discovery process, was settled favorably;

A defendant in a Federal Court civil case involving a claim for over $1,000,000 in damages relating to a defective plastic extrusion machine;

A number of individuals and corporations who have been designated as "Targets" in different federal criminal investigations in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Florida and Pennsylvania involving allegations of white collar crime;

A plaintiff in a state court sexual harassment case that settled after extensive discovery practice for $400,000;

Both plaintiffs and defendants in a series of shareholder dispute cases in federal and state courts;

An Estate in a state court action involving allegations of undue influence that was resolved favorably on summary judgment and then upheld on appeal;

A multinational telecommunications company in a multi-million dollar fraud and breach of contract case filed in federal court;

A defendant in a two-day labor arbitration with the AAA concerning a claim of sexual harassment against my client on which I prevailed;

A plaintiff in a Federal Court sexual harassment case which settled after extensive discovery for more than $100,000;

The executor of an estate accused of fraud in a case which was ultimately dismissed against our client;

A company litigating in state court that one of its former founders breached his noncompetition agreement;

A defendant in a two week federal criminal trial who was charged with violating federal wildlife protection laws; and,

A substantial number of defendants charged with criminal offenses in the Massachusetts state courts.