Overview
John D. Whitcombe is an AV-rated attorney focusing his practice on real estate and commercial litigation and transactions. He has extensive experience in commercial real estate matters from acquisition and development to leasing and property management. Mr. Whitcombe’s acclaimed legal experience ranges from complex business trial litigation to guiding mid-market companies through mergers and acquisitions. He has first-chaired complex business trials in court and and has resolved more than one billion dollars of business transactions during his career.
After 30 years of a successful practice, Greenberg, Whitcombe, Takeuchi & Gibson, LLP, joined with Kaufman Dolowich LLP in 2022 to better serve the needs of the business and real estate industries.
Leveraging his legal and business background, Mr. Whitcombe spent ten years as a member of the board of directors of LaCrosse Footwear (Nasdaq: “BOOT”) until its sale in 2012, where he was an Audit Committee member and chaired the Governance Committee. Since 1990, Mr. Whitcombe has also been a board member of several private companies, both for and not-for-profit, including Providence Healthcare Systems, Boy Scouts of America, GLS Building Corp. and others.
Prior to practicing law, Mr. Whitcombe was the CEO of several private companies, specializing in corporate turnarounds and startups. Today, he blends his corporate success and legal experience in both litigation and transactional work to provide his clients high-level business counsel with both common-sense and institutional approaches. Mr. Whitcombe is as equally skilled in advising smaller-sized manufacturers, to counseling on Top 100 corporate restructures.
Mr. Whitcombe is a board member of several private companies, both for and not-for-profit.
Admissions
- California
- District of Columbia
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals
- 9th Circuit
- U.S. District Court
- Northern District of California
- Eastern District of California
- Central District of California
- Southern District of California
Education
- University of LaVerne College of Law, J.D.
- University of Southern California, M.B.A.
- University of California at Los Angeles
Professional Memberships
- Real Property and Business Sections, State Bar Association of California
- South Bay California Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- California Trial Lawyers Association
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America
- National Institute of Trial Advocacy
Ancillary Businesses
- Lacrosse Footwear, Inc.
- Providence Healthcare Systems
- GLS Building Corporation
- Oarsmen Foundation
Selected Significant Matters
Litigation Matters
- Defended and prosecuted numerous matters in state and federal court, as well as in arbitration, on behalf of assorted business clients and individuals
- Successfully argued before the California Second District Court of Appeal in matter involving usurpation of client’s right to trial
- Representation of NYSE-listed company in disputes ranging from products liability to compliance to supplier issues
- Representation of prominent scientist concerning competing LLC ownership and intellectual property claims, obtaining full recovery of business and royalty stream
- Representation of prominent time share developer in assorted litigation, including alleged fraud, employment, and regulatory matters
- Representation of financial institutions in a mix of litigation matters ranging from labor and employment to credit recovery to borrower fraud
Transactional Matters
- Representation of both buyers and sellers in merger, acquisition and financing transactions. Lead counsel for closed transactions in excess of $1B
- Representation of several community and regional banks as general counsel, including advice concerning merger and acquisition, banking law, and credit recovery issues
- Formation and maintenance of multiple types of entities, including limited partnerships, LLCs, corporations, and joint ventures, and ongoing representation concerning corporate governance and other legal issues facing businesses
- Consultation with municipal and quasi-municipal agencies concerning development, fundraising, regulatory compliance and enactment of administrative codes and regulations
Representation of businesses and individuals in a wide array of transactions, including access to capital, labor and employment, brokerage, consulting, distribution, development and compliance
Awards
- AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Super Lawyers, Southern California, 2021, 2022, 2023
Publications
News
