John DeGroote is a former global company general counsel who has mediated and arbitrated complex and significant commercial and business disputes nationwide since 2013. Having served as outside counsel, chief litigation counsel, general counsel, company president, and corporate director, he understands the legal, business, and practical decisions that often determine whether a case settles or not.

As a mediator, John has been named the Lawyer of the Year for Mediation in Dallas/Fort Worth by Best Lawyers in both 2027 and 2024 and has been selected to the Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame. He is a member of the National Association of Distinguished Neutrals as both a mediator and an arbitrator and a Fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators. As an arbitrator, John has been a member of the AAA’s National Roster of Commercial Arbitrators since 2016 and has served as arbitrator in more than 100 matters.

Before beginning his ADR practice, John served in legal and executive leadership roles with KPMG Consulting (later BearingPoint), where he was Chief Litigation Counsel, General Counsel, and later President. Earlier in his career, he practiced with McKool Smith and Jackson Walker and held in-house positions with First USA and Paymentech.

John has chaired the ADR Sections of both the State Bar of Texas and the Dallas Bar Association and is a past Chair of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s National Litigation Committee and the Duke Law School Alumni Association Board of Directors. 

John earned his J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1990 and his undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University in 1986. He completed mediation training through Pepperdine University's Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution and arbitration training through the American Arbitration Association.

• Duke University School of Law, J.D., 1990
• Mississippi State University, B.A., 1986

Leadership and Affiliations

• Past Chair, State Bar of Texas ADR Section
• Past Chair, Dallas Bar Association ADR Section
• Past Chair, National Litigation Committee, Association of Corporate Counsel
• Past Chair, General Counsel Forum, Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter
• Past Chair, Duke Law School Alumni Association Board of Directors
• Past Chair, Duke Law School Young Alumni Association
• Past Chair, Texas Attorney-Mediators Coalition
• Member, Association of Attorney-Mediators
• Commercial Panel Member, American Arbitration Association
• Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation

Awards and Recognition

• Lawyer of the Year for Mediation in Dallas/Fort Worth, The Best Lawyers in America, 2027
• Inductee, Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame 
• Fellow, American College of Civil Trial Mediators, 2019 – 2026 
• Lawyer of the Year for Mediation in Dallas/Fort Worth, The Best Lawyers in America, 2024
• Dallas-Fort Worth “Lawyer of the Year” for Mediation, The Best Lawyers in America, 2024 
• Arbitration and Mediation Member, Member, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, 2017 – 2026
• Listed, Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, 2020
• Listed, Who's Who Legal / Lexology Index, Commercial Mediation, 2022 – 2026 
• Listed, Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2016 – 2026 
• Inaugural Member, ADR Champions List, The National Law Journal
• Listed, Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2018 – 2026
• Listed, Best Lawyers in America, Mediation, 2022 - 2027

Community Service

• Past Scoutmaster, Boy Scout Troop 70  
• Past Cubmaster, Cub Scout Pack 55 
• Past Trustee, St. John’s Episcopal School Board of Trustees
• Past Director, Dwell with Dignity Foundation

John's fee schedule is available at https://degrootepartners.com/fees/.