John has been with McGuireWoods for more than 34 years, and concentrates in real estate and land use law. He has been involved in many important zoning cases over the course of his career including the development of major residential and industrial parks; regional malls and "big box" shopping center developments; and the development and expansion of a regional waste facility. He is also active in transportation related projects, including Virginia's Public Private Transportation Act.

He is a past president of the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Bar Association and the Chesterfield Business Council; and a former member of the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority, and The Henricus Foundation. He is also a past member of the Executive Committee and former member of the board of directors of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce. He served as chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission in Washington, D.C., from 2001-2009. He is also a past chair of the Richmond District Council of the Urban Land Institute.

While in law school, John was a member of the McNeill Law Society and a John Marshall Fellow.