John Earnhardt

John is a Shareholder in Maynard Nexsen’s Litigation Section. Over the past 25 years, John has successfully defended complex commercial and tort litigation in state and federal courts around the country. 

He is experienced in trying jury and bench cases and has led large teams in mass tort, class action and other complex cases. John has handled cases in California, Alabama, Louisiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, South Carolina, Utah, and West Virginia.

John's talents and accomplishments as a litigator have earned him numerous accolades, including the esteemed ranking as a Leading Commercial Litigator by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation. He is consistently listed in The Best Lawyers in America© in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Litigation: Environmental, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action: Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation: Defendants and in Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Defense: Products.

John has been fortunate to represent leading companies in multiple industries, including chemicals, utilities, manufacturing, pulp and paper, construction, and transportation. He is pleased to provide client references upon request.

He earned his J.D. from Washington & Lee University School of Law, and he holds a B.A. from Birmingham-Southern College.

Community & Professional

• Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC), Sustaining Member
• Alabama State Bar – Member of Inaugural Class of Leadership Forum (2005); Bar Leadership Forum Planning Committee, Class II (2006); CLE Speaker, State Bar Section on Dispute Resolution and the Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution
• Alabama Law Institute – Judicial Article Study Committee
• American Bar Association – Litigation Section; CLE speaker at ABA’s Joint CLE for Environmental, Mass Torts and Product Liability Litigation
• Birmingham Bar Association – Grievance Committee; CLE Committee; CLE Speaker
• Legal Services Alabama – Board of Directors (2009-2015); Treasurer (2012-2015)
• Kiwanis Club of Birmingham

• Trial counsel in a wide variety of tort cases. These cases have involved a range of products including commercial buses, tires, boom lifts, forklifts, surveying equipment, alarm systems, smoke detectors, bathroom exhaust fans, fire extinguishers, pool pumps, propane tanks, x-ray machines and asbestos.
• Trial counsel in wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury cases arising from workplace accidents, including internal investigation and OSHA response.
• Trial and appellate counsel in complex commercial and business litigation matters involving contractual disputes, fraud, tortious interference, and lost profit claims.
• Trial counsel in various chemical exposure and toxic tort cases, arising in both products liability and environmental contexts.
• Trial and appellate counsel for a chemical manufacturer defending more than 1600 consolidated personal injury claims in Alabama and West Virginia related to alleged injuries from exposure to chemicals.
• Served as settlement counsel for mass tort litigation.

Recognition

• Recognized by Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Alabama, Litigation: General Commercial (2017 - Present)
• Recognized as a "Litigation Star" by Benchmark Litigation (2022, 2025)
• The Best Lawyers in America© for Commercial Litigation (2013 - Present), Litigation: Environmental (2018 - 2019, 2021- Present), Product Liability Litigation: Defendants (2017 - Present), and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions: Defendants (2019 - Present)
• Best Lawyers® 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” for Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Mid-South Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Defense: Products (2016 - Present)
• Alabama Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Defense: Products (2011- 2015)
• B-Metro, Selected as a Top Attorney (2020)
• Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent Rating