Biography
John has been with Anderson & Byrd in private practice since his graduation from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1965. He served as City Attorney for the City of Ottawa, Kansas for 27 years. John has also served as attorney for several other cities, unified school districts, a university, special counsel to several Boards of County Commissioners, Rural Water Districts, Kansas Board of Pharmacy, commercial banks, agricultural lenders and many charitable and religious organizations. He has been involved in representation of many clients appearing before administrative and quasi-governmental bodies for motor carriers, applicants, protestants, landowners, oil and gas producers, taxpayers, licensees and citizens.
John has spent over 57 years practicing in oil and gas, estate planning, real property including examination of title to land and titles to oil and gas properties, contracts, eminent domain and general practice. He assists other members of the firm with creative ideas, research and writing. He believes the law firm works for a client as a team by comparison of ideas and approaches which best fit and suit the client.
John is a founding board member of the Franklin County Community Foundation which administers several million dollars in endowments established through donor directed trusts which fund local community needs educationally, benevolently, charitably and religiously.
He is a member of the American Bar Association, a life time member of the Kansas Bar Association and the Franklin County Bar Association. He served as President of the Kansas Bar Association Administrative Law Section. John is a Fellow of the Kansas Bar Foundation. He is admitted to practice in all Kansas state and federal Courts, U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Also, John was formerly a Kansas Supreme Court Approved Mediator. Further, he has served as an investigator for the Office of Disciplinary Administrator for more than 40 years.
John has appeared as counsel of record in litigation filed in more than half of the 105 courthouses in Kansas. He has appeared in numerous appeals in the Kansas Court of Appeals, the Kansas Supreme Court and the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
John and his wife, Jan are the parents of two children. They are grandparents to nine grandchildren. John and Jan enjoy their leisure time together.
Practice Areas
- Estate Planning
- Real Property
- Oil & Gas
- Titles to Real Property
- Elder Law
Bar Admissions
- Kansas, 1965
- U.S. District Court, 1965
- U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit, 1974
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1986
Education
- University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, Kansas
- University of Kansas School of Journalism, Lawrence, Kansas
- B.S.
- Major: Journalism
Fraternities or Sororities
- Phi Delta Phi
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association, 1965 to Present
- Kansas Bar Association, 1965 to Present
- Franklin County, Kansas Bar, 1965 to Present
Honors
- American Jurisprudence prize for best thesis written by student in1965 graduating class from law school, topic, Judicial Administration.
Pro-Bono Activities
- Franklin County Community Foundation
References
- Kansas State Bank, Ottawa, Kansas
Classes & Seminars
- Undergraduate Business law, Ottawa University, Ottawa, Kansas, 1966 to 1969
- Continuing Education to CPA in Estate Planning, Johnson County Community College
- Undergraduate Business Law, Neosho Community College, 1995
Ancillary Businesses
- Lobby Kansas Legislature for 12 annual sessions 1966 to 1978 representing American Mutual Insurance Alliance, a trade organization representing 120 plus mutual casualty insurance companies.
- Lobby Kansas Legislature representing Kansas School Bus Owners Association, private owners of over 400 school buses operated in Kansas not by unified school districts, religious schools or otherwise.
Representative Cases
- Chandler v. Anchor Serum, 198 Kan. 571 , 1967
- LaRue v. LaRue, 216 Kan. 242 , 1975
- Steere v. Cupp, 226 Kan. 566 , 1979
- Case Bros. v. City of Ottawa, 226 Kan. 648 , 1979
- Olmsted Electric, Inc. v. Neosho Construction, 599 F.2d 930 , 1979, 10th circuit
- Construction Materials, Inc. v. Becker, 8 Kan.App.2d 394 , 1983
- Adolph v. Stearns, 235 Kan. 622, 1984
- City of Ottawa v. Heathman, 236 Kan. 417, 1984
- Buckle v. Caylor , 10 Kan.App.2d 443, 1985
- Hiji v. City of Garnett, 248 Kan. 1, 1991
- Brock v. Richmond Berea Cemetery , 264 Kan. 613, 1998
- Jason Oil Company, LLC v. Littler, 310 Kan. 576, 2019