John V. McCoy

Mr. McCoy has a national practice involving catastrophic and complex lawsuits involving fires and explosions and products liability claims. He and his firm have handled many thousands of fires and explosion cases and products liability cases for clients throughout the country. He is routinely retained within hours of an incident to quarterback the investigation of the incident and to develop best outcomes for his client.

He has represented clients in all 50 states.. His experience includes serving as Co-Chairperson of the DRI Fire & Casualty Committee with his law partner Larry Leavitt for four years. He has also served on the Attorney Advisory Committee of the International Association of Arson Investigators. He is a past President and a founding member of the Propane Gas Defense Association.

He has been AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell for more than 30 years. He has been recognized with a Top Ten Defense Verdict in the USA by The National Law Journal. He has been selected as a Wisconsin Super Lawyer from 2005 to the present. In 2008 he was recognized as one of 25 "Leaders in the Law" by the Wisconsin Law Journal. In 2017 and 2024 he has been honored as the Products Liability Defense Lawyer of the Year for Milwaukee, Wisconsin by the Best Lawyers Association.

He served as a Captain in the Army JAGC from 1984-1988 and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and was Airborne. He graduated from Drake Law School in 1984 and served as a member of its Advisory Board from 2008 to 2014. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh in 1980 and was voted Outstanding Senior, Graduation Speaker and Distinguished Military Graduate. He is a Certified Litigation Management Professional as awarded by the Counsel on Litigation Management.

Specialties: catastrophic and complex claims and litigation, products liability, fires, explosions, arson, wildfires, industrial fires, scene examinations, trucking, mass torts, coordinating counsel for national programs, product recall programs.

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Education

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh -- 1980 -- B.S. 

Drake Law School -- 1984 -- J.D.

Bar Admissions

Wisconsin - State - 1988

U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin - 1989

U.S District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin - 1989

Iowa - State -1984

U.S District Court for the Northern District of Iowa - 2015

U.S District Court for the Northern District of Illinois - 2018

Representative Cases

Presentations

Defending and Managing Claims Involving Arson and Fraud, 2012 ACI Fire & Casualty Claims

Defending Catastrophic Fire Loss Cases from Flammable Gases, 2011 Wildland Fire Conference

Don't Let Your Case go Up in Smoke; 2011 National HPBA Expo

Legal Analysis of a Catastrophic Propane Gas Explosion Case, 2005 DRI Fire Conference

Author-Legal Brief for LPGas Magazine, 2005-present

Catastrophe Litigation in the Pipeline Industry: A Case Study: The Brenham Texas Explosion, 1996 International Pipeline Litigation Seminar, London

Professional Affiliations

Natural Gas Claims & Litigation Association

Defense Research Institute

Propane Gas Defense Association

International Association of Arson Investigators

Council on Litigation Management