John R.Skelton

Since the early 1990s, John has worked with clients in the automobile, restaurant, hospitality, and bedding industries, developing a deep knowledge and understanding of those industries, and the complex web of federal and state laws and regulations governing his clients’ distribution networks. John knows his clients' business, people, and agreements—something he believes is essential to being able to resolve disputes and develop effective business strategies. John especially enjoys working with some of the largest, most sophisticated automotive manufacturer and distribution clients, and relishes the daily challenge of anticipating the emerging trends and issues facing clients in one of the most heavily regulated franchise industries.  

John is proud to serve as co-chair of Seyfarth’s multidisciplinary Franchise & Distribution team because each member is dedicated to providing strategic advice and counseling to help clients anticipate and solve network issues and disputes. From setting up a new franchise system and the strategic counsel to make it grow to litigating the most complex disputes, his colleagues bring decades of franchise, distribution, antitrust, and trial experience to bear. John has been recognized by US News’ Best Lawyers in America (franchise law) from 2013 to 2022 and was named Franchise “Lawyer of the Year” in 2019 (Woodward/White Inc.).