John Bonello – Partner

Mr. Bonello also represents clients before federal district courts throughout the country and the Court of Federal Claims, as well as courts of appeal and numerous state courts. During his many years of practicing law, Mr. Bonello has been involved in multiple trials, hearings, and oral arguments. Mr. Bonello has also represented clients before a number of arbitration forums, including the American Arbitration Association, the International Center for Dispute Resolution, JAMS, and the International Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Bonello has litigated and arbitrated matters involving myriad issues including trade secret misappropriation, non-compete and non-solicitation issues, copyright and trademark infringement, contract disputes, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and prime contractor/subcontractor disputes.

Mr. Bonello has the unique experience of also serving as a panel member for the American Arbitration Association and the International Center for Dispute Resolution, where he has been selected to serve as an arbitrator in over 80 arbitrations. Mr. Bonello has presided over arbitrations with diverse issues such as a dispute between software developer and software reseller/distributor; contract and fraud claims arising from value added reseller arrangement between an Alaskan Native Corporation and software developer; misappropriation of an application programming interface; breach of product agreement dispute between beverage manufacturer and beverage bottler; a dispute over an Oracle ecommerce platform integration, and a dispute between on online retail platform and an international third-party seller.

Mr. Bonello previously served as a member of the Information Technology Association of America’s Application Service Provider Committee where he spearheaded the preparation of the ITAA’s “ASP Service Level Agreement Guidelines” and co-chaired a committee that prepared the ITAA’s “ASP Service Level Agreement Guidelines for the Health Care Sector.” Mr. Bonello has been a frequent speaker on information technology law issues. Mr. Bonello served on the Virginia Joint Commission on Technology and Science, Advisory Committee on Privacy.

Mr. Bonello received his B.A. degree in 1988 from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. degree in 1991 from the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, where he served on the editorial staff of the Catholic University of America Law Review.

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

• Botani-Labs, LLC v. IPF Sourcing, LLC, JAMS Arbitration (November 11, 2021) (obtaining award if $2.4 million in compensatory damages and $1.0 million in exemplary damages on breach of contract and conversion counterclaims)
• George H. Drakes v. Glover Group Investments, LLC, CAL1702860 (Maryland Court of Special Appeals, April 30, 2021) (successful defense of appeal of trial court grant of summary judgment on fraudulent conveyance claims)
• Microtechnologies, LLC v. FedStore Corp., No. CL2017-8945 (Fairfax County Circuit Court, February 14, 2018) (obtaining ruling on plea in bar that non-solicitation agreements were unenforceable against former Microtechnologies employees)
• Ronco Consulting Corp. v. Leading Edge Ventures, LLC, 2017 WL 6336609 (D. Md. 2017) (successfully opposed the prime contractor’s effort to vacate arbitration award in favor of subcontractor)
• Rodell v. Objective Interface Systems, Inc., 2015 WL 5728770 (D. Co. 2015) (obtaining partial summary judgment on former employee’s claims of age discrimination, retaliation, promissory estoppel, and wrongful termination)
• Trusted Integration, Inc. v. U.S., 659 F.3d 1159 (Fed. Cir. 2011) (obtained reversal of dismissal of breach of software license agreement claim against the United States)
• Trusted Integration, Inc, v. U.S., 679 F. Supp. 2nd 70 (D.D.C. 2010) (obtained favorable ruling allowing Lanham Act claim against United States to proceed)
• Britton v. Technology, Automation & Management, Inc, 2008 WL 2477453 (D. MD. 2008)
  (obtaining dismissal of unjust enrichment claim and clarification that board of directors may have sole and absolute discretion to determine whether employee can be terminated for cause).
• Dumas v. Easter Seal Society for Disabled Children and Adults, Inc. No. 2007.3364 (D. Md. 2008) (obtained summary judgment on employees’ discrimination claims prior to commencement of discovery)

AREAS OF PRACTICE