John F. Queenan is a Partner in the Firm’s Commercial Litigation; Compliance, Investigations & White Collar; Directors & Officers Liability; and Health Services Practice Groups. He regularly appears before state and federal trial courts, appellate courts and administrative agencies (disciplinary, licensing and audit matters). John also counsels and represents clients in internal inquiries and actions relating to internal peer review processes, including evaluating, modifying, limiting, suspending or denying medical practice privileges.

John also counsels clients in a wide range of commercial and engineering/construction matters including business disputes/divorces; LLC operating agreement disputes/freeze-out merger litigation; product liability defense; professional/engineering liability defense; pedestrian bridge collapse/construction disputes/design defects/chemical ignitions; highway and building design and maintenance; CERCLA; and pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle accidents.

He represents healthcare clients in matters involving:

Compliance/HR investigations
Government investigations
Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General
False Claims Act
Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs
U.S. Attorney’s and New York State Attorney General’s Office
Department of Health
Title VII
Breaches of contract
Licensure issues
Physician misconduct
ADA violations
Medical staff

John has litigated matters and obtained and defended temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunction actions involving non-compete agreements, the theft or transfer of confidential information and matters involving termination of employment.

The following matters are representative of John’s work:

Filed an action against LLC members alleging theft of corporate opportunity and “freeze out.” Upon filing, a temporary restraining order was secured, freezing the LLC’s finances and transactions, pending full review by the frozen-out member and permitting a full on-site review of corporate financial records, including imaging of all corporate computers and files. After multiple motions and multi-jurisdictional filings involving choice of venue clauses, first filed actions, corporate freeze-out actions, theft of assets/corporate opportunity and breach of fiduciary duties, John secured a favorable mediated, multimillion-dollar buyout settlement.
Represented a southern New York emergency medical services (EMS) entity filing an action against another EMS company to protect and assert its right of first refusal regarding an operating certificate, which had been obtained in a prior asset purchase/sale. The certificate holder attempted, on multiple occasions, to extinguish the client’s right of first refusal by bundling assets in a purported offer/sale transaction, or by purported sales in response to “insider” offers. John commenced an action in Rockland County, obtaining a temporary restraining order and later, after full submissions and a hearing, a preliminary injunction prohibiting the sale until final resolution on its merits could be obtained. Issues regarding the appropriate bond posting were also resolved in the matter. After the action, the purported sale was ultimately withdrawn with John’s client retaining its rights.
Successfully defended a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction action commenced by a municipal entity attempting to prevent his client from selling certain assets prior to a dissolution process.

John previously practiced with the New York City Law Department in several roles starting in the Juvenile Prosecution Unit:

Office of NYC Corporation Counsel, Prosecutor
Assistant Deputy Borough Chief, Bronx County
Designated Felony Unit Prosecutor, Queens County
Deputy Borough Chief in Queens County
Senior Counsel, Special Federal Litigation Division

John is a member of the American Health Law Association, the Defense Research Institute (DRI) and the Professional Liability Underwriters Society (PLUS). He is a board member of the Albany Law School National Association and is a moot court judge for Albany Law School and Albany County Bar Association. In addition, he is a volunteer mentor for Albany Law School, a board member of the Albany Police Athletic League, a youth coach for soccer and hockey, and a USA Hockey Level III-certified hockey coach.

John has been named to Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation in 2024.

Since 2016, the Health Services Practice Group has been recognized in the Chambers USA directory. It has also been listed in The Legal 500.