J. Gordon Cooney Jr. has experience with a broad variety of commercial and civil litigation, with a particular focus on defending class actions in state and federal court. Gordon represents clients in matters throughout the United States in consumer, product liability, deceptive trade practice, toxic tort, RICO, antitrust, and securities class actions. His practice also includes substantial commercial, business, and merger and acquisition (M&A) litigation. He previously served as leader of Morgan Lewis’s litigation practice.
Many challenges facing companies today present multiple dimensions—including regulatory and criminal investigations, civil or criminal litigation by US federal and state prosecutors, class action or serial litigation by customers or other stakeholders, and shareholder and corporate governance litigation. Gordon works with companies to shape the overall strategy to successfully navigate multijurisdictional and multidisciplinary challenges. His experience has included both serving as overall strategy counsel as well as working collaboratively in virtual law firms to help solve client challenges.
Gordon has appeared in the courts of more than 35 states, and he has argued before the US Supreme Court and many federal circuit courts. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and as a “Star Individual” for Commercial Litigation in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. The American Lawyer named Gordon “Litigator of the Week” in the summer of 1999.
For nearly 25 years, Gordon represented John Thompson, who was wrongly convicted in 1985 of murdering a New Orleans hotel executive and an unrelated armed carjacking that the prosecutors used in the murder case. Thompson faced the death sentence and 50 years in prison without parole. Over the course of 15 years of postconviction proceedings, Gordon and a Morgan Lewis team uncovered concealed blood evidence in the carjacking case, as well as witnesses and other evidence hidden from the defense. Based on the blood evidence, the carjacking conviction was vacated, and a Louisiana court ordered a new murder trial. On retrial, handled by Gordon and the Morgan Lewis team, a jury found Thompson not guilty of murder. The court released him from custody after 18 years in prison and exonerated him of any involvement in the crimes.
Active in civic and philanthropic organizations, Gordon also served as an adjunct law lecturer at Villanova Law School for 11 years.
Distinguished Leader, The Legal Intelligencer Pennsylvania Legal Awards (2024)
Recognized, Philadelphia: Commercial Litigation, including Class Action, Product Liability, Antitrust, Securities, Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America (2022, 2025)
Influencer of Law, Business Litigation, The Philadelphia Inquirer (2018)
Recommended, Dispute resolution: General commercial disputes, The Legal 500 US (2017, 2022, 2023)
Recommended, Dispute resolution: Product liability, mass tort and class action: automotive/transport, The Legal 500 US (2018, 2019)
Recommended, Product liability, mass tort and class action: pharmaceuticals and medical devices: defense, The Legal 500 US (2017)
Recommended, Antitrust: Cartel and antitrust: Civil litigation/class actions, The Legal 500 US (2015–2016)
Recommended as a local litigation star for Pennsylvania for Commercial Litigation and Products Liability in Benchmark Litigation (2008–2014, 2017, 2018)
Star Individual, Litigation: General Commercial, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia & Surrounds, Chambers USA (2021–2024)
Ranked, Litigation: General Commercial, Pennsylvania, Chambers USA (2006–2020)
Life Sciences Star, Antitrust, Product Liability, LMG Life Sciences Awards Americas (2023, 2024)
Life Sciences Star, Non-IP Litigation and Enforcement, LMG Life Sciences (2016–2022)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Philadelphia (2020)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Philadelphia (2015, 2019)
Recognized, The Best Lawyers in America (2007–2023)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Philadelphia (2024, 2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, Philadelphia (2024, 2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants, Philadelphia (2024, 2025)
Outside Director of the Year, Philadelphia Business Journal (2014)
Named 2014 Pennsylvania Product Liability Department Of The Year by The Legal Intelligencer
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
Past Co-chair, Third Circuit Judicial Council Lawyers Advisory Committee
Member, American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Class Action and Derivative Suits Committee
Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Award (2006)
Boston College Law School Alumni Association, Robert F. Drinan, S.J., Award (2006)
Villanova Law School, St. Thomas of Villanova Award (2009)
American Jewish Committee, Learned Hand Award (2011)
Former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Rosemont School of the Holy Child
Former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Gesu School
Chair-elect, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Chair, US Lacrosse Foundation
Former Editor-in-Chief, Villanova Law Review
Former Member, Order of the Coif