John R. Brydon is an AV-rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell.  He has been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates for nearly 25 years, and a Certified Specialist in Civil Trial Law and Diplomat of the National Board of Trial Advocacy for over 20 years. Mr. Brydon has also been rated and included by his peers in the Super Lawyer selection process for nearly a decade.

With over 35 years of experience, Mr. Brydon has successfully defended and tried to verdict many high-exposure complex personal injury, product liability, insurance coverage and bad faith trials throughout California and around the country, including cases involving issues of punitive damage exposure for major corporate and insurer defendants.  He has been included on the national trial teams of several corporate clients and has been admitted pro hac vice as trial counsel in multiple jurisdictions.

Mr. Brydon has also successfully argued cases before the California Courts of Appeal, State Supreme Court, and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.  He was lead trial and appellate counsel in Buss v. Superior Court (1997) 16 Cal. 4th 35, a nationally recognized decision that extends to insurance companies a right to seek reimbursement for defense costs expended to defend non-covered claims asserted against policyholders.  In the California Supreme Court decision of PPG Industries, Inc. v. Transamerica Ins. Co. (1999) 20 Cal. 4th 310, he successfully argued for limits on the types of damages recoverable against insurance companies in bad faith cases based on alleged failure to settle within policy limits.  An active member of the DRI and Association of Defense Counsel, Mr. Brydon has lectured on topics of defense in bad faith lawsuits, insurance coverage disputes, defense of products liability claims, and trial practice. He has been appointed to the Executive Board of the Defense Institute of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms where he serves as Chairman 2015-2016.

Education

  • B.A. from the University of the Pacific in 1972
  • M.A., Communication Studies, California State University, Sacramento in 1975
  • J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1978; on the editorial board of the Pacific Law Journal (now McGeorge Law Review) and a national finalist in the American College of Trial Lawyers’ mock trial competition.
  • Law Clerk to Hon. James H. Thompson, 2nd Judicial District, State of Nevada, 1981-1982.

Bar Information

  • 1978, California
  • 1982, Nevada;
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit;
  • U.S. District Courts:  Central, Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of California;
  • U.S. District Court, District of Nevada;
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Bar Associations

  • Bar Association of San Francisco
  • American Board of Trial Advocates (1991-Present; Current Rank of Advocate)
  • National Board of Trial Advocacy (1993 – Present) (Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy and Civil Pretrial Practice)
  • Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
  • Association of Northern California Defense Counsel (ADC)
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Member Executive Board, Primerus Defense Institute, International Society of Primerus Law Firms (Chairman 2015-1016)
  • Selected to Super Lawyers (2006-Present.)

Published Decisions

PPG Industries, Inc. v. Transamerica Ins. Co. (1999) 20 Cal.4th 310

Buss v. Superior Court (1997) 16 Cal.4th 35

Burns v. 20th Century Ins. Co. (1992) 9 Cal.App.4th 1666

Weiss v. Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. (1988) 204 Cal.App.3d 1094

Skyway Aviation, Inc. v. Troyer (1983) 147 Cal.App.3d 604