John W. Clay
Ajamie LLP
John Clay has a diverse legal practice advising and representing individuals and multi-national corporations in complex litigation disputes. He is a skilled litigator with first-chair commercial trial and arbitration experience, and has represented clients in multiple areas of litigation including engineering design and construction litigation, civil RICO litigation, class action and multidistrict litigation proceedings, investment disputes, energy litigation, complex contractual disputes, cross-border litigation, transportation liability defense, and employment litigation.
Mr. Clay has represented clients in multiple lawsuits at the state and federal court level and in domestic and international arbitrations. His experience extends to cross-border commercial litigation, including representation of Latin American corporations in state and federal court proceedings. His proficiency in simplifying and presenting complex legal and technical issues has enabled him to successfully represent clients in jury and bench trials, evidentiary hearings and appeals, including a civil RICO jury verdict that resulted in a $112 million judgment.
Mr. Clay served for a year as a law clerk for the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, and served for two years as a task force staff attorney for the First Court of Appeals in Houston. He has participated in multiple appellate proceedings in private practice in addition to his trial practice.
- Business Law
- Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
- Transactional Matters
- Commercial Litigation
- Texas
- 5th Circuit
- English: Spoken, Written
- French: Spoken, Written
- Partner
- Ajamie LLP
- - Current
- Current position
- Task-Force Staff Attorney for the Honorable F. Lee Duggan, Jr.
- Court of Appeals for the First Supreme Judicial District of Texas
- -
- Associate
- Baker Botts LLP
- -
- Clerk
- Chief Justice Edith H. Jones, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- -
- University of Houston Law Center
- J.D. (1996)
- Honors: cum laude
- Activities: Note & Comment Editor, University of Houston Law Review Order of the Barons
- Rice University
- B.A. (1993) | Classical Studies
- Honors: National Merit Finalist
- Texas Super Lawyer
- Super Lawyers
- Texas Super Lawyer
- Super Lawyers
- Texas Super Lawyer
- Super Lawyers
- Texas Super Lawyer
- Super Lawyers
- Texas Super Lawyer
- Super Lawyers
- State Bar of Texas  # 00796366
- Member
- Current
- American Bar Association
- Member
- Current
- ABA's Energy Litgation Journal
- Assistant Editor
- Current
- ABA Energy Litgation Journal Editorial Board
- Member
- Current
- Bar Association of the Fifith Federal Circuit
- Member
- Current
- An Explosion of Litigation: BP and Deepwater Horizon
- ABA’s Energy Litigation Newsletter
- Website
- John W. Clay, Partner - Ajamie LLP