John is the Chief Operating Officer for Wright Close & Barger. John is an experienced business executive, having served in senior leadership roles including Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director, and President & General Counsel for law firms and non-profits.

John holds degrees from the University of North Georgia (BBA), Georgia Tech (MBA), Baylor University School of Law (JD), and Harvard University (MPA). He began his legal career as an attorney with a Houston law firm and taught as an Adjunct Professor at Houston Christian University.

A frequent speaker on law practice management, leadership, and education, John has been a guest speaker at law schools and legal and educational conferences across the state and nation. Also, he is the author of legal and professional articles. For the past two years, he served as Course Director for the Texas State Bar Annual Meeting CLE on law practice management. Committed to community service, John completed leadership training through the American Leadership Forum, Center for Houston’s Future, FBI Citizens’ Academy, Attorney-Mediators Institute, and Leadership Houston.

Experience

  • Chief Operating Officer, Wright Close & Barger, 2025 – present

Memberships

  • State Bar of Texas
  • Houston Bar Association (Law Practice Management Section)
  • American Bar Association
  • Life Fellow, Houston Young Lawyers Foundation, Houston Bar Foundation, Texas Bar Foundation

Awards

  • Top 50 COOs for U.S. from OnCon
  • AV Preeminent for Ethical Standards and Legal Abilities from Martindale Hubbell
  • Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas

Presentations & Publications

Presentations:

  • American Bar Association: Conferences in Las Vegas, Milwaukee, San Diego, Vancouver
  • Houston Bar Association: Seminars on Disaster Preparation and Recovery, Navigating Online Legal Advertising, and Technology Competence
  • Houston CPA Society and Texas Society of CPAs: Speaker on Leadership
  • State Bar of Texas: Speaker on Firm Culture; Records Management; Disaster Preparation and Recovery; Online Legal Advertising Rules; Operations and Leadership
  • Texas Society of CPAs: Speaker on Leadership
  • University of Houston: Speaker on Board Development with Strategic Planning

Publications:

  • “Joining the Team: Three Steps for Successfully Adding New Legal Staff,” Legal Intelligencer
  • “Motivating Employees: Is There an App for That?,” American Bar Association
  • “Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst – Preparing and Recovering from a Storm,” Texas Lawyer
  • “How Nonprofit Organizations get Publicity,” Houston Business Journal
  • “Contract to Eliminate Weapons in Schools,” Texas Bar Journal
  • “Taking Cover – Preserving Error When Hit with a Claim for Punitive Damages,” Baylor Law Review
  • “Management of the Complex, Multiple-Party Case,” Houston Lawyer
  • “Bifurcated Trials – When to Expose a Defendant’s Net Worth,” Houston Lawyer
  • “Keeping Up with Default Judgments,” Houston Lawyer

Community Involvement

  • Board of Directors: Loving Houston, Outreach Center of West Houston, Center for Christianity in Business
  • Secretary: SpringSpirit