John W. Dawson IV
John Dawson focuses his practice on the areas of environmental and construction law and products liability. Prior to attending law school, John had a successful career as a civil and environmental engineer. John incorporates this knowledge base and past experience into his practice, providing him a unique insight into his clients’ interests and goals.
John’s practice encompasses:
- Environmental – Representing industries, utilities, and municipalities in environmental disputes and regulatory enforcement actions, as well as environmental permitting and compliance, related to water and wastewater treatment, storm water management, air emissions, site remediation, hazardous waste and materials management, and water use rights, as well as representing clients in corporate and real estate transactions.
- Construction & Real Estate – Representing owners, developers, contractors, and designers in various construction and real estate transactions and disputes; preparing and negotiating construction agreements.
- Products Liability & Mass Torts – Working with manufacturers in a wide variety of industries utilizing his background in science and engineering to provide a foundation for comprehensive legal representation in disputes involving products and chemicals.
John is a contributing author of the Water Quality Control Handbook, and an article summarizing his thesis on reaeration in rivers and streams was published in the Journal of Environmental Engineering.
Representative Experience
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Representation of LFM Capital, a private equity firm focused on lower middle market manufacturing and industrial services businesses, in its acquisition of Workplace Modular Systems, a supplier of workstation platforms. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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Representation of ShopSabre Holding Company, a LFM Capital portfolio company, in its acquisition of Langmuir Systems, a manufacturer of computer numerical controlled cutting machines and accessories. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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Representation of LFM Capital, a private equity company, in its acquisition of APQS, a manufacturer of long arm quilting machines, and Ballistech, a manufacturer of basketball practice devices, in a single transaction. Term of the transaction were not disclosed.
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Representation of Integrated Polymer Solutions, Inc. (“IPS”), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management and a leading designer and manufacturer of engineered elastomeric components across the commercial aerospace, defense, medical, semiconductor, and other specialty industrial markets, in its acquisition of AkroFire, LLC, which designs and manufactures highly-engineered, elastomeric, fire seal solutions and cargo bay repairs for the business jet, commercial aerospace, and defense aerospace markets. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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Representation of SRM Concrete, the largest privately-owned ready-mix concrete manufacturer in the country, in its acquisition of USC-Atlantic, LLC, a subsidiary of U.S. Concrete, Inc., which is wholly owned by Vulcan Materials Company. Included in this acquisition are 28 ready-mix locations in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Terms of this transaction were not disclosed.
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Sale of large custom and specialty utility trailer lines of business.
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Representation of Physicians Immediate Care, a Midwest leader in urgent care and occupational health services, in its sale to WellNow Urgent Care, an urgent care provider nationwide. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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Representation of LFM Capital, a private equity firm focused on lower middle market manufacturing and industrial services businesses, in its acquisition of Novex, Inc., a seasoned manufacturer and distributor of polyurethane belting and sheet product used in high-abrasion applications across a wide variety of industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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Representation of Vektek, a portfolio company of LFM Capital and a market leading designer and manufacturer of hydraulic clamps and related products that are used to secure parts during the metal cutting process associated with CNC machining, in its sale to CNL Strategic Capital, a company that owns private companies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Publications
Media Mentions & Firm News
Accolades
Chambers USA — Environment (2020-2022), Up and Coming (2019)
The Best Lawyers in America© — Litigation: Construction; Litigation: Environmental (2023)
Professional Engineer
Tau Beta Pi
Chi Epsilon
Phi Kappa Phi
University of Tennessee Legal Clinic
University of Tennessee Environmental Law Moot Court Team
Education
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University of Tennessee College of Law - J.D., 2008
cum laude
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Vanderbilt University - M.S., 1999
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University of Tennessee - B.S., 1996
magna cum laude
Admissions
- Tennessee, 2008
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee
Chambers USA
"John Dawson regularly acts for utilities, municipalities and corporate clients in enforcement actions and environmental litigation. He handles matters arising under air, water and waste regulations. Clients say: 'He is very knowledgeable and well respected.'"
From Chambers USA 2020