Firm partner John Boundas graduated first in his class from the University of Iowa Law School and received the second highest score statewide on the 1995 Texas Bar Exam.  Following law school, he interned at the U.S. Department of Justice and was recognized for his “outstanding” performance. He went on to clerk for the Hon. Milton I Shadur, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  John then joined the litigation section of Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, until joining Williams Hart in 2001.

 John has spent the past two decades primarily representing people injured by prescription drugs, often children born with serious birth defects after exposure to prescription drugs in utero.  Recently, John was appointed Co-Lead Counsel in the In re Depakote Litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.  John represented children who suffered birth defects as a result of Depakote exposure, and along with the Williams Hart team tried individual jury trials that resulted in a $38 million verdict (unanimously affirmed on appeal) and a $15 million verdict (settled while on appeal), that ultimately led to the resolution of the litigation.

Yet even with this impressive body of work and history of success in arguing everything from personal injury suits to pro-bono civil rights cases, John had yet to face his biggest adversary: cancer.

In 2004 John was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma while trying a case. “It was my third straight trial in a row in Philadelphia. I didn’t really feel well and thought ‘OK, this is what stress is like.’” A nurse/paralegal working on the case with him saw him going upstairs and noticed he had to stop midway. She convinced him to see a doctor who found a large mass in his chest during surgery which turned out to be cancer. Never one to take it easy, John endured regular chemo sessions and a period of daily radiation which helped him fight his way into remission just seven months after his initial diagnosis.

During his fight, there were many times that John was out of the office, too weak to work. “The firm was really supportive and helpful. It is a family around here and that is what we extend to our clients; a family atmosphere. I think that is what makes us different from other firms and while I was out fighting, I experienced the other side of that, the support, understanding and encouragement that we reserve for clients.” John received an extra bit of encouragement when he got a visit from the firm’s founding partner, John Eddie Williams. “John Eddie flew up to see me after my surgery and threatened to take away my Blackberry if I tried to do any work.”

The Chicago native and University of Michigan grad gained perspective during this time. “You learn to stop more than you did and look at the big picture,” says John. This is what also drives him, “I see the big picture and realize that people do not need to be hurt or affected by others who cut corners just to make outrageous profits. That is why we do what we do. We try and make sure that people can stand up against companies, corporations and individuals that have mistreated them or been negligent.