John W. Bryant

John Bryant has over 40 years of experience as a business litigator and adviser to corporations engaged in transportation, manufacturing and international trade. He has handled numerous complex litigation projects in state and federal courts. He also has extensive appellate experience and has written over 200 trial and appellate briefs. He also is a member of the Commercial Arbitration Panel of the American Arbitration Association and has arbitrated over 50 cases on such issues as supplier-manufacturer disputes, provider claims against health insurers, and software implementation arrangements. 

John is nationally recognized for his expertise in transportation and administrative agency law. He serves as a founding member of the Firm’s Transportation and Logistics Law Group and is a frequent speaker at transportation industry seminars. He has been involved in three United States Supreme Court cases of major importance to the transportation industry:  Square D Co. v. Niagara Frontier Tariff Bureau, Inc., 476 U.S. 409, Maislin Industries, U.S., Inc. v. Primary Steel, Inc. 497 U.S. 116, and most recently, Yellow Transportation v. Michigan, 537 U.S. 36, in which he represented motor carrier interests in their successful efforts to retain a uniform national interstate motor carrier fee system.

John also has substantial experience representing businesses affected by the bankruptcies or financial reorganizations of their customers or suppliers.  He has written papers and presented articles on obtaining critical supplier status or other preferred positions in major corporate bankruptcies.  He also has defended preference claims, pursued setoff remedies, and defended corporations in bankruptcy adversary proceedings.

A unique area of John’s practice involves international trade, immigration and customs issues. He represents a number of Canadian and other foreign corporations in their operations in the United States and is regularly involved in seminars and educational programs involving trans-border legal issues. He also works with corporate employees and individuals in resolving immigration issues.

John currently is a Vice President of Dean & Fulkerson. He served as Firm President from 2009 to 2011 and as a member of its Executive Committee beginning in 2005.

Honors & Awards

John W. Bryant

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• Named Michigan “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics® for Transportation/Maritime Law (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
• Listed as one of the "Top Lawyers in 2010" by dbusiness Business Journal
• AV-rated, Martindale Hubbell Law Directory. For over 100 years, Martindale Hubbell has published peer review ratings for attorneys.  An AV rating is a combination of the Legal Ability Rating (“A” from very high to preeminent) and the General Ethical Standards Rating (“V” very high).