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John  S.  Golwen
Member
Memphis
P:(901) 543-5903
F:(866) 627-4696
E-mail John S. Golwen
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Education
Washington & Lee University - J.D., 1990
College of William & Mary - B.A., 1986

Court Admissions
U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee, 1990
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Mississippi, 1990
U.S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit, 1990

Bar Admissions
Tennessee, 1990

Memberships
Memphis, Tennessee and Federal (President, Memphis and Mid-South Chapter, 2003) Bar Associations
Leo Bearman, Sr. American Inn of Court
Lawyers' Journal Club of Memphis

Honors & Distinctions
Listed in: Best Lawyers® for Arbitration, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking & Finance, and Litigation - Securities
Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator, Tennessee
Law Clerk to the Hon. Bailey Brown, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1990
Editor, Washington & Lee Law Review
Past-President, Federal Bar Association Mid-South Chapter
Board of Directors, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis
Board of Directors, Carnival Memphis
Past-President, The University Club of Memphis
Past-President, The Phoenix Club
Past-Vestry Member, St. John's Episcopal Church
Past-Finance Chair, Shelby County Republican Party

Publications
"Statutes of Limitation for Section 10 (b) and Rule 10b-5: A New Proposal for Uniformity," 46 Wash. & Lee L.Rev . 665 (1989)



John is Chair of the firm’s Business Disputes Litigation Group which concentrates in the areas of contract and transactional disputes; business divorces among owners of all types of business entities; and, the handling of commercial tort actions such as procurement of breach of contract, tortious interference with business relations, interference with contracts, misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of restrictive covenants. He also practices extensively in the firm’s Broker–Dealer and Financial Products Practice representing financial institutions and advisors in customer and financial product disputes. John also represents healthcare companies in business disputes and regulatory issues in the managed care space.

Recent Representative Matters include:
  • Gene Holcomb v. Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc. Successfully defended Morgan Keegan in a 2012 FINRA arbitration hearing in which claimant sought $750,000 plus punitive damages for losses he allegedly incurred in several proprietary, high yield junk bond funds. After a one week hearing on the merits, the Panel awarded Claimant nothing rendering an award in favor of the client.
  • Pneu-Tools, Inc. v. Bird, et al. Obtained injunctive relief against shareholders in a 2011 derivative action in Chancery Court to prevent the syphoning of corporate assets and negotiated a settlement resulting in a business divorce among the owners.
  • Glenna Flautt v. Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc. Successfully obtained dismissal of claims against Morgan Keegan in 2011 as being time barred after an FINRA arbitration hearing on the merits. Claimant sought damages of $1,548,000 for losses she incurred in several open and closed-end bond funds. The FINRA arbitration panel awarded claimant nothing and dismissed the claims.
  • Communications Consulting Services, Inc. v. Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc. Successfully defended Morgan Keegan as lead counsel in action brought by plaintiff for breach of contract and violation of the Mississippi Uniform Trade Secrets Act in a jury trial in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Memphis in 2008. The jury returned a verdict for the defendant on both counts awarding plaintiff no damages.
  • Smithco Investments v. Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc. Successfully defended action brought by a telecommunications business which held spectrum licenses used for cell phone communication in Western Arkansas. John was lead counsel for Morgan Keegan in the case which was tried in the Circuit Court of Sebastian County, Arkansas in 2007 for alleged negligence, breach of contract and fraud. The claims arose from the client’s engagement as investment banker in connection with a sale of plaintiff’s assets to a public telecommunications company. A verdict was returned for the defendant awarding plaintiff none of the $7,000,000 in damages it sought, and plaintiff’s subsequent appeal was dismissed.

John is married to Tammy Parrish Golwen and they have a son, Greer. He enjoys running, fly-fishing and duck hunting.