John Guttmann
NAEM General Counsel
Beveridge & Diamond PC
John represents companies in complex, high-stakes toxic tort, product liability, and environmental litigation.
He has served in leading roles in litigation matters involving potential damages and awards in the billions of dollars and has secured the dismissal or reduction of claims in numerous matters, saving clients millions of dollars. By blending regulatory, transactional, and litigation expertise—including representation of clients as plaintiffs—into an integrated whole, John offers clients the benefit of all three perspectives in charting a course of action that is most advantageous for their businesses.
John serves as lead national counsel for a petroleum refiner in all MTBE product liability litigation and has been a member of the defense steering committee for the refining industry in those cases. He led a team that successfully defended a public water utility in multiple cases alleging health effects due to lead exposure. The court relied upon John's arguments in denying class certification in the first of those cases, moving the entire docket toward a quick resolution favorable to the client.
John devotes a substantial part of his practice to the defense of natural resource damages (NRD) cases brought by trustees. He currently represents defendants in NRD litigation brought by four different sovereigns.
Other examples of his environmental litigation experience include serving as lead counsel in cases arising under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and Clean Air Act. These matters have included cases pending in various federal trial and appellate courts, cases before the Department of the Interior Board of Land Appeals, and administrative enforcement actions before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
John's litigation experience also includes indemnity litigation, securities class actions, breach of fiduciary duty claims, directors and officers liability suits, complex contract cases, unfair competition cases, and health insurance matters. He has also represented several clients in SEC enforcement proceedings.
Before joining the firm, John served as a law clerk for Judge Aubrey E. Robinson, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He has served in numerous firm leadership positions, including Managing Principal, and is Chair of the firm's Pro Bono Committee.
John has held leadership positions in a number of organizations. He currently serves as Chair of the Defense Research Institute's (DRI) Center for Law and Public Policy Management Council and previously served as National Director of DRI and Chair of its Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee. John is General Counsel and a member of the Board of Directors of NAEM (formerly the National Association for Environmental Management) and Chair of the Board of Directors of the C&O Canal Trust, the official nonprofit partner of the C&O Canal National Historical Park. He is also a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, an invitation-only organization of approximately 2,500 defense attorneys worldwide.
In addition, John has spoken on topics related to environmental litigation at meetings sponsored by the Defense Research Institute, the American Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar, the New York City Bar Association, and the Environmental Law Institute, as well as at the annual NRD conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
John is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
John earned his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975 and his J.D. from Cornell University in 1978.
John is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and New York.
John is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, U.S. District Court for Maryland, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
John is a member of the American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute (DRI), International Association of Defense Counsel, Lawyers for Civil Justice, and Litigation Counsel of America.
Beveridge & Diamond is the largest U.S. law firm that concentrates on environmental and related work.
He has served in leading roles in litigation matters involving potential damages and awards in the billions of dollars and has secured the dismissal or reduction of claims in numerous matters, saving clients millions of dollars. By blending regulatory, transactional, and litigation expertise—including representation of clients as plaintiffs—into an integrated whole, John offers clients the benefit of all three perspectives in charting a course of action that is most advantageous for their businesses.
John serves as lead national counsel for a petroleum refiner in all MTBE product liability litigation and has been a member of the defense steering committee for the refining industry in those cases. He led a team that successfully defended a public water utility in multiple cases alleging health effects due to lead exposure. The court relied upon John's arguments in denying class certification in the first of those cases, moving the entire docket toward a quick resolution favorable to the client.
John devotes a substantial part of his practice to the defense of natural resource damages (NRD) cases brought by trustees. He currently represents defendants in NRD litigation brought by four different sovereigns.
Other examples of his environmental litigation experience include serving as lead counsel in cases arising under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and Clean Air Act. These matters have included cases pending in various federal trial and appellate courts, cases before the Department of the Interior Board of Land Appeals, and administrative enforcement actions before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
John's litigation experience also includes indemnity litigation, securities class actions, breach of fiduciary duty claims, directors and officers liability suits, complex contract cases, unfair competition cases, and health insurance matters. He has also represented several clients in SEC enforcement proceedings.
Before joining the firm, John served as a law clerk for Judge Aubrey E. Robinson, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He has served in numerous firm leadership positions, including Managing Principal, and is Chair of the firm's Pro Bono Committee.
John has held leadership positions in a number of organizations. He currently serves as Chair of the Defense Research Institute's (DRI) Center for Law and Public Policy Management Council and previously served as National Director of DRI and Chair of its Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee. John is General Counsel and a member of the Board of Directors of NAEM (formerly the National Association for Environmental Management) and Chair of the Board of Directors of the C&O Canal Trust, the official nonprofit partner of the C&O Canal National Historical Park. He is also a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, an invitation-only organization of approximately 2,500 defense attorneys worldwide.
In addition, John has spoken on topics related to environmental litigation at meetings sponsored by the Defense Research Institute, the American Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar, the New York City Bar Association, and the Environmental Law Institute, as well as at the annual NRD conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
John is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
John earned his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975 and his J.D. from Cornell University in 1978.
John is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and New York.
John is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, U.S. District Court for Maryland, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
John is a member of the American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute (DRI), International Association of Defense Counsel, Lawyers for Civil Justice, and Litigation Counsel of America.
Beveridge & Diamond is the largest U.S. law firm that concentrates on environmental and related work.