John DeStefano’s practice is concentrated in commercial litigation, with an emphasis in banking, real estate, business tort, professional liability and appellate matters. He counsels a variety of local and national clients, including major financial institutions, in business disputes arising under federal and state law. John is regularly consulted in cases involving complex questions of procedure and local practice such as mass actions, class actions, and multi-jurisdictional disputes.
John’s appellate experience includes several matters before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, including interlocutory proceedings under the Class Action Fairness Act, amicus curiae briefing on significant questions of debtor-creditor law, and pro bono representation of a wrongfully deported lawful permanent resident.
Before joining Snell & Wilmer, John spent two years as a law clerk to federal judges at both the trial and appellate level. More recently, John was selected by the American Inns of Court as one of two Pegasus Scholars who visited the United Kingdom in 2012 to learn about the British court systems.
Education
- University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law (J.D., 2007)
- Senior Managing Editor, Arizona Law Review
- Award for Highest Academic Achievement in Graduating Class
- Harvard University (A.B., Classics, 2001)
Court Admissions
- Supreme Court of Arizona
- United States Supreme Court
- United States District Court, District of Arizona
- United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Professional Memberships & Activities
- American Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- Lorna Lockwood Inn of Court
- Volunteer Lawyers Program of Arizona
Representative Presentations & Publications
- Lenders Prevail in Lawsuits by Borrowers Seeking to Enforce Federal Loan Modification Programs, Co-Author, Pratt's Journal of Bankruptcy Law, Vol. 6, No. 6 (September 2010)
- On Literature as Legal Authority, Note, 49 Ariz. L. Rev. 521 (2007)
- Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation & Drainage Dist. v. Robertson: Abiding by the Federal Course of Interstate Water Allocation, 48 Ariz. L. Rev. 201, Case Note (2006)
Other Professional Experience
- U.S. District Court, District of Arizona
- Law Clerk to the Hon. Neil V. Wake (2008-2009)
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- Law Clerk to the Hon. William C. Canby, Jr. (2007-2008)
