John M. Nolan III concentrates his practice in Employment Law where he represents private and public employers, businesses, and executives in contentious litigation brought by employees and former employees. He has over 10 years of complex litigation experience in both state and federal courts, defending management against lawsuits alleging discrimination based on protected characteristics such as disability, sex, religion, national origin, race, and gender. He has a particular concentration in representing ERISA plan sponsors and fiduciaries in litigation brought by former highly compensated employees. John engages in both plaintiff and defense work regarding regarding private and public entity union benefits disputes, as well as asserting or defending matters involving theft of trade secrets, non-competition, and non-solicitation disputes.
John advises clients on the full spectrum of labor and employment law at the federal, state, and local level. John also develops and reviews executive compensation agreements and programs, including deferred compensation, supplemental executive retirement plans, equity awards, retirement benefits, and golden handcuff or golden parachute provisions.
John’s practice includes targeted use of the most modern electronic discovery techniques, which involves advising clients and other attorneys regarding both the legal and practical form and function of retrieving and reviewing electronically stored information prior to and during litigation. John is a common speaker on the use of forensic investigations into potential employee smartphone and computer misconduct, electronic theft, data loopholes, and cybersecurity in the context of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and Defend Trade Secrets Act.
Areas of Practice
Education
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey School of Law – Camden (J.D.)
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (B.A., Magna Cum Laude)
Bar & Court Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- United States District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
- United States District Court, District of New Jersey
Professional Affiliations
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Defense Institute
Honors
- AV Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated
- Selected for Inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America in the area of Labor and Employment Law – Management
- Motion to Transfer Venue Granted – Robertson v. Pfizer Retirement Committee and Fidelity Executive Services (3rd Cir.), cert. denied, reh’g en banc denied, Represented employer in breach of fiduciary action under ERISA.
- Matter Settled – Galante v. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (U.S.D.C., Eastern District of PA), Represented employer-provided life insurance carrier in breach of fiduciary action under ERISA brought by estate of deceased employee.
- Motion for TRO and Emergency Discovery Granted – Marina District Development Company, LLC d/b/a Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa v. AC Ocean Walk, LLC d/b/a Ocean Casino Resort (U.S.D.C., Nevada), Represented Plaintiff casino in high-profile executive employment-related matter involving multiple forms of restrictive covenants and misappropriation of trade secrets.
“Wonderful job, John and team! We were hoping this day would come for quite a while, but the day finally came. Congrats!”
“Great job and thanks for protecting the insured from a much higher settlement!!”
“Your legal maneuvers are impressive, as I don’t think many attorneys would have come up with such an effective plan to outwit Plaintiff’s counsel.”

