Background and Experience

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John Gutke is the founder and managing partner of Gutke Law Group.  Prior to forming Gutke Law Group, John was a partner for several years at a large, Am Law 100-ranked national law firm.  He decided to make the transition away from the traditional corporate law firm structure in order to pursue a more flexible, personalized, collaborative approach to practicing law and to be able to provide high-quality legal representation to his clients at a lower cost than the traditional law firm model.

 

John represents clients in complex business and commercial litigation matters, including partnership disputes, directors’ and officers’ liability cases, business torts, contract disputes (including non-competition and non-solicitation agreements), receivership actions, banking and real estate matters, defamation claims, and judgment enforcement actions, among other business disputes. His trial experience and familiarity with the litigation process from start to finish has also led to recent successes in copyright infringement, professional negligence, family law, and criminal defense matters. He has appeared in, and tried cases before, numerous state and federal courts, and has filed appeals and requests for emergency relief with the Nevada Supreme Court and other courts of appeal, including appearing before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

 

John also has significant experience litigating matters in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, having represented Chapter 11 debtors going through financial restructuring and reorganization, creditors in Chapters 7, 11, and 13, and other parties and individuals in bankruptcy adversary proceedings, valuation trials, nondischargeability actions, and other contested bankruptcy matters. 

 

Because of his educational background, which includes both a bachelor's and a master's degrees in economics, John approaches his clients’ matters from a practical business perspective to help his clients find personally-tailored solutions to their legal needs.

 

John began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez, Chief Judge of Nevada’s Eighth Judicial District Court. Because Judge Gonzalez presides over a specialized business court docket, John received valuable experience in complex business litigation matters from the start of his career, seeing cases from the Court's perspective. Prior to his practice of law, John was an economics instructor and research assistant in Oregon and Utah.

 

Education

 

• University of Oregon School of Law (J.D., 2006)

• Utah State University School of Graduate Studies (M.S., magna cum laude, 2003)

• Utah State University (B.A., cum laude, 2001)

 

Bar Admissions

 

• Nevada

• Idaho

 

Speaking Engagements

 

• "Hidden in Plain Sight: Pursuing U.S.-Based Assets in Cross-Border Insolvency and Enforcement of Judgment Proceedings," American Bar Association, International Law Section - New York City Spring Conference (April 2018)

• "Business Litigation in Nevada," Nevada Contractors Association Annual Meetings, Las Vegas, Nevada (June 2015)

 

Memberships

 

• Executive Committee Member, Nevada State Bar Association Litigation Section (2015-present)

• Member, Clark County, Nevada, and American Bar Associations

 

Honors & Awards

 

• Nevada Business magazine has named Mr. Gutke as among Nevada's best attorneys for each of the past seven years (2013-2020), in its annual "Legal Elite" edition, which recognizes the top attorneys in the Silver State, as voted by their peers.

• Named as a "Mountain States Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyers Magazine (2014-2017, 2019, and 2020).

• Selected as one of the 50 Best Up-and-Coming Attorneys in the state of Nevada by Nevada Business Magazine (2010-2014).

• Selected as a “Mountain States Rising Star” attorney by Super Lawyers Magazine (2009-2010, 2012-2013)

• Recognized by the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada for his volunteer pro bono work in Southern Nevada.

 

Languages

 

• Portuguese

• Spanish 

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