John Howley, Esq.

Experienced Trial and Appellate Lawyer

John Howley, Esq. has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in significant labor, employment and civil rights cases.  He has tried cases and argued appeals throughout the United States, including in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Among his noteworthy accomplishments are:

• won an $80 million settlement from Sodexho Marriott in an employment discrimination class action;
• won a labor arbitration for the NYC Police Benevolent Association that resulted in police officers receiving higher raises than firefighters for the first time in 100 years;
• won $3.2 million for nurses in a prevailing wage lawsuit;
• won an injunction against the City of New York to protect the First Amendment rights of political protesters;
• successfully defended a Teamsters Union Local President against fraud charges;
• convinced courts and Governors to vacate or commute death sentences in Alabama, Ohio, and Virginia.

John has received numerous awards including the Thurgood Marshall Award from the New York City Bar Association, the Gideon Champion of Justice Award from the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Medal for Excellence in Advocacy from the American College of Trial Lawyers.  He has been named one of New York’s SuperLawyers.

Over the past 30 years, John has achieved excellent results in some of the most difficult cases.  For example, commenting on his unusual success in multiple challenges to the death penalty, the New York Law Journal wrote, “The best news a death row inmate can hear is that John Howley has agreed to take the case.”

John Howley graduated from Skidmore College and earned his law degree magna cum laude from New York Law School, where he was Articles Editor at the Law Review. During law school he served as an intern to U.S. District Judge Kevin Thomas Duffy and to former U.S. Magistrate, later U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin.

Upon graduation, John served as a law clerk to Judge Roger J. Miner on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He then joined Kaye Scholer LLP, where he became a partner in the firm’s litigation department. While at Kaye Scholer, John represented major pharmaceutical and energy companies in employment class actions and other complex litigation.

After 20 years representing multinational corporations, John formed The Howley Law Firm to give people the same high-quality legal advice and aggressive advocacy. He derives great personal satisfaction by working directly with clients and helping them through the legal process, step by step.

John’s commitment to making a difference extends to his volunteer work.  He has served as a Trustee of The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, as Vice-Chair of the Skidmore College Board of Trustees, as Vice Chair of the Northfield Mount Hermon School Board of Trustees, and as a Trustee of New York Law School and the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities.  He is Chairman Emeritus of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce, Inc.

John speaks English, French, and Tagalog.