John C. Vazquez
John routinely counsels clients through disputes involving intellectual property (IP), including copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, royalty agreements, contractual earn-out provisions, development and commercialization agreements, and licensing agreements. He has defended clients against class actions alleging price fixing, market manipulation, unfair competition, false advertising, and data privacy violations.
John has a deep understanding of the business and legal challenges facing companies in the digital media, digital advertising, and advertising technology (adtech) industries, including emerging legal issues related to generative artificial intelligence. He has also represented writers, filmmakers, musicians, and publishers in all manner of disputes.
In the financial services and securities industries, John has experience in litigation over mortgage-backed securities (MBSs), collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), derivatives agreements, and other financial products. John has also represented securities brokers and dealers in regulatory enforcement actions and pre-enforcement investigations, and his counsel has helped large financial institutions navigate external disputes and internal investigations.
Experience
Representative Matters
Commercial Disputes
- Represented an advertising technology company in a dispute with a former strategic partner alleging breach of contract, misappropriation of confidential information, and other claims. Defeated an application for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a preliminary injunction that sought to interfere with client's exclusive access to and control over certain Smart TV viewership data (New York State Court)
- Represented the estate of the artist Robert Indiana in several multi-party litigations concerning the artist’s legacy and the rights to many of the artist’s most iconic works (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, AAA Arbitration)
- Represented a group of nearly a dozen actors and writers to protect their rights in connection with the bankruptcy of the Weinstein Company (U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware)
- Represented a well-known recording artist in litigation against a former manager (New York State Court)
Antitrust and Class Actions
- Represented healthcare providers and administrators in state and federal data privacy lawsuits related to use of the MOVEit file transfer software, including acting as court-appointed defense liaison counsel in federal multidistrict litigation proceedings (U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, New York State Court)
- Represented digital advertising companies in putative class actions alleging they collected and used personal data of minors in violation of state and federal laws (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)
- Obtained dismissal of claims for monetary relief against a dietary supplement company in a class action alleging that the company falsely advertises the joint health benefits of its products (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)
- Represented a generic pharmaceutical company in antitrust litigation over an alleged “reverse payment” patent agreement (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania)
- On behalf of a precious metals broker, won dismissal of all claims in litigation alleging illegal price fixing and commodities market manipulation (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York)
- Represented television broadcasters in a class action challenging Major League Baseball (MLB) broadcast rules under the Sherman Act (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York)
Securities & Financial Services
- Won dismissal of fraud claims brought by shareholders against the directors and officers of a company related to the company’s initial public offering (IPO) (New York Supreme Court)
- Represented a seed capital investor in claims against a company and its founder alleging fraud in connection with a share repurchase transaction (Illinois State Court)
- Counseled a large financial institution in connection with disputes over energy derivatives contracts following a major weather event
- Counseled a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) bank in investigating and addressing suspected self-dealing transactions by an officer of the bank
Insights
Credentials
Education
- J.D. New York University School of Law
- B.A. University of Colorado-Denver
Bar Admissions
- New York
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York