Background
John was born in 1969 and raised in Waco, Texas. After obtaining his Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University in 1991, John received his Juris Doctor in 1995 from Texas Tech School of Law, where he was on the Dean’s List, and served as an Associate Editor of the Texas Tech Law Review. After graduating from law school, John clerked for the Tenth Court of Appeals for a year before entering private law practice. He has practiced in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1996. John lives in Dallas with his wife and daughter.
Legal Experience
John has over 26 years of experience as a lawyer. Prior to opening his own dispute resolution practice in 2013, John was a partner at a litigation boutique in Dallas where he maintained a practice in a wide variety of areas. John has practiced in the areas of business and commercial litigation and has worked as a transactional lawyer performing real estate, commercial leasing, and general corporate work. He has also served as outside general counsel for several of his business clients, advising them on litigation, employment, regulatory, and transactional matters, and all aspects of risk management and dispute resolution. John also has experience in matters involving oil & gas, class actions, intellectual property, bankruptcy, construction law, personal injury, product liability, entertainment law, funeral home and cemetery law, and professional liability.
Dispute Resolution Practice
John was formally trained as a professional mediator through the American Academy of Attorney Mediators in 2000. He has maintained a mediation practice since that time and continues to take advanced mediation, arbitration, and negotiation training courses to further improve his skills.
John has over 21 years of practical experience as a mediator focusing on the resolution of complex disputes. Since opening his dispute resolution practice in 2013, John has focused on mediating and arbitrating matters involving commercial and business litigation, partnership disputes, health care, employment law, intellectual property, real estate, oil and gas, construction, personal injury, professional liability, product liability, insurance coverage, and probate matters. In especially contentious or complex matters, John is also retained to provide neutral case management services to help the parties position the dispute for possible resolution. In addition to his mediation practice, lawyers and parties retain John as negotiation counsel to negotiate the resolution of their disputes as their advocate.
Recent Speeches / Presentations
John is frequently asked to write and speak on dispute resolution topics and has spoken at continuing legal education seminars put on by the Dallas Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, the Association of Attorney Mediators, and the University of North Texas Dallas School of Law among others. Recent presentations include:
“Joint Sessions in Mediation: Essential or Irrelevant,” Dallas Bar Association & Mesquite Bar Association (March 2014)- John Shipp, Christopher Nolland, John DeGroote, and Michael Gardner
“Early Case Mediation and Other Ways Mediators Can Add Value,” State Bar of Texas, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (January 2015)-John Shipp and the Hon. (Ret.) Linda B. Thomas
“How to Screw Up a Mediation,” Dallas Bar Association, Business Litigation Section (April 2015)- John Shipp, Christopher Nolland, and John DeGroote
“The Mediator’s Roundtable-A Guided Group Discussion-Dealing with Difficult Situations” Dallas Bar Association, ADR Section (September 2014, October 2016)- John Shipp
“Mediation Process and Techniques,” University of North Texas, Dallas College of Law, 40 Hour Mediation Training Course (June 2016, May 2017, May 2018, May 2019), Guest Lecturer, John Shipp
“Negotiation Tips and Techniques at Mediation,” Headnotes, a publication of the Dallas Bar Association (May 2018) -author- John Shipp
“Ten Things Your Mediator Won’t Tell You,” Dallas Bar Association, CLE Section, (June 2018)- John Shipp (co-written by John DeGroote)
“How to Become and Stay a Successful Mediator: Personal Experiences and Lessons Learned,” Dallas Bar Association, ADR Section (September 2018)- John Shipp, Co-Panelist
“Breaking Impasse,” Dallas Bar Association, ADR Section (December 2018)- John Shipp and Todd Allen
“Eight Negotiation Tips Designed to Get Better Results at Mediation,”- The Resolver, a publication of the ADR Section of the Federal Bar Association (Spring 2019)-author- John Shipp
“Missed Opportunities and More: Three Mediators’ Perspectives on Mediation Advocacy at Mediation,” Dallas Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education Section (April 2019)- John Shipp, Christopher Nolland, and John DeGroote
“The Devil and the Deal: Negotiating at Mediation Without Losing Your Soul,” Dallas Bar Association (October 2019)- John Shipp
“Zoom Mediation for Lawyers 101,” Dallas Bar Association (April 2020)- John Shipp, Christopher Nolland, and John DeGroote
“Video Mediations-Beyond the Basics,” Texas Mediator Credentialing Association, 16th Annual Symposium, (October 2020), John Shipp, Chris Nolland, Ross Stoddard, & John DeGroote
“Video Mediation: An Effective Alternative to In Person Mediation,” State Bar of Texas, 18th Annual Advanced Business Law Course, (November 2020), John Shipp
“One Year Later-Mediators' Top Tips for Counsel in Online Mediations,” Dallas Bar Association, Friday Clinic (March 2021), John Shipp, Chris Nolland, John DeGroote, & Ross Stoddard
“Top Tips For Successful Zoom Mediations of Probate, Trust and Estate Disputes,” San Antonio Estate Planner Council (April 2021), John Shipp & Ross Stoddard
“Ethics...Smethics...Why Shouldn’t I Do It This Way?,” Advanced Attorney Mediation Training, Association of Attorney Mediators (April 2021), John Shipp, John DeGroote, & Ross Stoddard
Education
B.A., Political Science, Baylor University, 1991
J.D., Texas Tech School of Law, 1995
Court Admissions
Texas, 1995
U.S. Districts Courts: Northern, Eastern, Western, and Southern Districts of Texas
Professional Recognition
D Magazine, Best Lawyers of Dallas, Alternative Dispute Resolution/Mediation, 2015-present
Texas Monthly, Texas Super Lawyer, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2011-present
Professional Associations
National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, Academy Member, 2019- present
Association of Attorney Mediators, North Texas Chapter, President 2011-present
Federal Bar Association, ADR Section, Federal Litigation Section
Dallas Bar Association, ADR Section, Business Litigation Section, Fee Dispute Committee, CLE Committee, Bench Bar Committee
State Bar of Texas, ADR Section, Business Law Section, Consumer and Commercial Law Section, Litigation Section
William ‘Mac’ Taylor, American Inn of Court, Master of the Bench, 2015-present; Mentor-Mentee Committee Chair, 2017-2018
DAYL Foundation, Fellow, 2008-present
Dallas Bar Foundation, Fellow, 2017-present
Texas Bar College, A Professional Society of Legal Scholars, Member, 2021-present