John R. Darda
Counsel
Overview
John Darda counsels clients in complex litigation matters relating to construction law, product liability, and insurance law. He especially enjoys representing policyholders, from individuals to large corporations, while working to secure the insurance coverage they deserve in a variety of contexts.
Following a catastrophic fire loss, John represented a corporate policyholder through an appraisal process in order to recover all of the proceeds owed from its insurer. He also secured defense coverage for a multi-national construction corporation after its insurer initially denied coverage. In 2018, John was recognized as an Attorney of the Year as part of a team of lawyers who helped obtain the largest settlement by a diocese in bankruptcy to date in the U.S. for coverage work related to Archdiocese and Parish clergy abuse claims.
John is a cum laude graduate of the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota and earned his bachelor's degrees in journalism and communication studies with distinction from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.
Experience
- National Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA v. American Zurich Ins. Co. ,et al., (San Francisco Superior Ct. 2018). Insurance coverage counsel for international geotechnical engineering firm for claims related to Millennium Tower, Transbay Transit Center, and Sales Force Tower (San Francisco).
- Noetic Specialty Ins. Co. v. Medtronic plc (E.D. VA. 2018). Successfully settled dispute relating to coverage for vaginal mesh product liability litigation.
- In re: Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis (Bankr. D. Minn. 2015). Assisted with the representation of the Committee of Parish Creditors, comprised of over 100 parishes facing hundreds of clergy abuse claims, in the Archdiocese Chapter 11 reorganization. Obtained tens of millions of dollars in insurance coverage settlements under missing insurance policies, which settlements were part of the $210 million settlement of Archdiocese and Parish clergy abuse claims, and represented the largest settlement by a diocese in bankruptcy to date in the United States.
- Insurance coverage counsel for international design firm for claims related to the $17 billion Second Avenue Subway Project in NYC.
- Insurance coverage counsel for mechanical engineering firm for claims related to the United States National Security Agency's $1.2 billion Utah Data Center project (2017).
- Insurance coverage counsel for large national engineering firm for claims related to the Kendall Generating Station Project (Cambridge, MA) (2018).
- Lead counsel for national contractor winning dismissal of lawsuit for claims related to construction of the Groveland Terrace Condominium in Minneapolis (2018).
- Lead associate on team representing design engineers for three-year, multimillion-dollar litigation following collapse of I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis.
- In re Individual 35W Bridge Litig., 786 N.W.2d 890 (Minn. Ct. App. 2010)
- In re Individual 35W Bridge Litig., 806 N.W.2d 820 (Minn. 2011)
- Lead counsel for memory-care facility winning full recovery of long-term care insurance claim (2019).
- Co-counsel for ten-day arbitration hearing in corporate breach of contract dispute in Orange County, California (2015).
- Represented medical device manufacturer in multidistrict product liability litigation (2016).
Pro Bono:
- Ex parte Armstrong (Tex. Crim. App. 2017). Member of team of Maslon lawyers serving as pro bono counsel for Douglas Tyrone Armstrong, a Texas death row inmate convicted of capital murder in 2006. The team successfully secured the vacation of Armstrong's death sentence by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
Honors
Attorney of the Year, Minnesota Lawyer, 2018
North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2018 (North Star Lawyer is a designation that recognizes members who provide 50 hours or more of pro bono legal services in a calendar year.)
Light of Justice Award, Texas Defender Service, 2018