John practices in the Administrative & Public Utilities, Appellate Law, Corporate & Business Transactions, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, and Environmental & Alternative Energy practice groups, litigating cases for businesses and individuals in state and federal courts and in mediation and arbitration proceedings. These include commercial contract, employment, and related actions as well as civil and criminal administrative enforcement proceedings.
John represents developers, financial institutions, public utilities, retailers, wholesalers and individuals in civil litigation and state and federal administrative proceedings. He has tried cases in circuit courts throughout the Commonwealth and before the Virginia State Corporation Commission and has handled more than 100 appeals before the Court of Appeals of Virginia, the Virginia Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
John also assists businesses in avoiding litigation. He has advocated for clients in legislative or regulatory proceedings before the Virginia General Assembly, the U.S. Congress, the Virginia State Corporation Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and other state and federal agencies. He helps clients navigate state and federal environmental, energy, occupational safety and health, financial, and other permitting and regulatory processes. He also defends clients in civil or criminal administrative enforcement actions. John is listed in Virginia Business magazine’s “Legal Elite” ranking for Legislative, Regulatory, Administrative law.
Prior to law school, John worked as a legislative assistant to U.S. Congressman Herbert H. Bateman and also served for eight years as an Assistant Attorney General, five of those as the lead litigator for the Commonwealth’s several environmental agencies.
John served as a member of the Board of Governors for the Virginia State Bar’s Environmental Law Section from 2007 to 2010 and currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Administrative Law Section. He lectures on state and federal stormwater and wetlands regulations and on defending against regulatory enforcement action. He also co-authored a handbook on Virginia administrative law.
Attorney Perspectives
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2021 Virginia General Assembly Session Highlights Energy and Environmental Issues
April 22, 2021 -
Virginia Clean Economy Act Update
April 20, 2021 -
EO53 Extension and the Anticipated Sunset of Business Restrictions in Virginia (Coronavirus and the Law)
May 6, 2020 -
Supreme Court Expands Scope of Clean Water Act to Reach Indirect Discharges Into U.S. Waters
May 1, 2020 -
Updated: Expanded Restrictions on Virginia Businesses Through Exec. Order 53 (Coronavirus and the Law)
March 27, 2020 -
Va. State Health Commissioner’s Declaration of Public Health Emergency (Coronavirus and the Law)
March 20, 2020
Featured Posts
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John Byrum and Jay Spruill Convince SCC to Strike Prohibitive Rule Against Consumer Finance Companies
March 20, 2023
Recognition
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70 WRVB Attorneys Named to 2022 “Legal Elite”
November 29, 2022 -
WRVB Attorneys Make Major Showing in Best Lawyers in America
August 16, 2022 -
26 Woods Rogers Attorneys Named “Legal Elite” or “Rising Stars”
December 1, 2021 -
Forty-four Woods Rogers Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers for 2022
August 19, 2021 -
31 Woods Rogers Attorneys Listed as “Legal Elite” and “Rising Stars”
November 30, 2020 -
Forty-one Woods Rogers Attorneys Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for 2021
August 20, 2020 -
“Legal Elite” Ranking Lists 30 Woods Rogers Attorneys
December 10, 2019 -
Thirty-nine Woods Rogers Attorneys Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for 2020
August 16, 2019 -
Virginia Business Names 26 Woods Rogers Attorneys as 2018 “Legal Elite”
December 5, 2018 -
Thirty-nine Woods Rogers Attorneys Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America
August 16, 2018 -
Twenty-four Woods Rogers Attorneys Named by Virginia Business as 2017 “Legal Elite”
December 1, 2017