John W. Holton

Legal Experience

John is a trial lawyer with experience handling an array of civil lawsuits.  His two primary practice areas are representing plaintiffs in serious personal injury matters and companies in business disputes.

In his personal injury and wrongful death practice, he has litigated cases involving products liability, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, premises liability, and trucking accidents, among others.  In the past few years, John has tried medical malpractice and premises liability cases to jury verdict.

In his business and commercial litigation practice, he has represented companies with claims involving intra-corporate disputes, unfair and deceptive trade practices, fraud, and breach of contract.  John recently completed a two-week bench trial with over $1.2 billion at issue stemming from the defendants’ fraud and breach of contract. WRAL Link.

Prior to joining Miller Monroe & Plyler, John spent nearly a decade practicing as a defense attorney with prominent regional law firms where he represented Fortune 500 companies, large insurers, and hospital systems.  John is able to leverage his experience working for those large organizations to effectively represent the less powerful. John comes from a family of lawyers, and the impact the legal system can have on its citizens—positive and negative—was impressed upon him from an early age.  After college, John worked for a large national law firm as a paralegal where he was a member of the trial team for a wrongfully convicted United States Senator. NPR Link.  In addition to fostering a love for trial work, this experience demonstrated how the courts can be used and misused in the pursuit of justice.

John is licensed to practice in state and federal courts throughout North and South Carolina. He is a member of the Federal Bar Association, North Carolina Bar Association, South Carolina Bar Association, Wake County Bar Association, and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.

Community Involvement

• Leadership Raleigh, Class of 39
• Legal Aid of North Carolina, Pro Bono Attorney
• Caris Foundation, Board Member
• Lutheran Services Carolinas, Refugee Team Leader
• Christ the King Presbyterian Church, Member and Volunteer
• Chi Psi Alumni Advisory Board
• UNC Law Alumni Recruitment Committee Member
• El Futuro, Board Member (2014-2020)
• UNC Young Alumni Leadership Council (2013-2016)

Recognition

• 2021 & 2022  Super Lawyers Rising Star
  • Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process.  Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.  The Super Lawyers Rising Stars selection process takes into account peer recognition, professional achievement in legal practice, and other cogent factors. The Rising Stars list recognizes no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state.
• 2021 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch”
  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch awards recognize extraordinary lawyers who have been in private practice for less than 10 years in the United States. Like traditional Best Lawyers awards, a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognition is based entirely on peer review.
• 2018 North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society

Personal

John is a proud Triangle native—having grown up in Durham and attended college and law school at UNC-Chapel Hill. He now lives near downtown Raleigh with his wife and three young children. Outside of the office, John enjoys playing basketball, trail running, fly fishing, and listening to live bluegrass music.