Picture of John F. Jakuback

John F. Jakuback

Partner

John Jakuback is a partner in the Houston and Baton Rouge offices of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1992 and practices in the areas of commercial and personal injury litigation. John defends Fortune 500 corporations, regional businesses, municipalities and local contractors faced with a variety of disputes, including contract disputes, tort claims, wrongful death claims, municipal liabilities, civil rights violations, and industrial construction defect claims. He has extensive experience in defense cases involving complex industrial maintenance and construction contracts, oil and gas catastrophic loss litigation, retail casualty litigation, slip and fall claims, and premises liability claims. John is listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Insurance Law - Defense, 2008-2023; Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, 2008-2023; Lawyer of the Year - Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, 2022; and Lawyer of the Year - Insurance Law, 2020). John is licensed to practice law in both Louisiana and Texas and frequently consults with national clients on litigation management, trial strategy, and settlement negotiations in both jurisdictions. He is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and in 2020, John was elected to be a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Representative Experience
  • Representation of a natural gas pipeline company in connection with an explosion and fire in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and in the resulting personal injury and wrongful death litigation proceedings in Louisiana and Harris County, Texas
  • Representation of a global energy company with respect to a pipeline explosion and fire in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, including site investigation, evidence preservation, interaction with regulatory authorities, witness interviews, and in the resulting litigation
  • Representation of a large family owned business in complex minority shareholder litigation
  • Representation of a Fortune 500 global engineering and construction company in litigation involving the failure to recognize faulty pipe welds in connection with an industrial refinery expansion project
  • Representation of national retailers in the defense casualty litigation, "slip and fall" cases and soft tissue personal injury cases throughout Louisiana and in the negotiation of settlement terms
  • Successful representation at trial and through settlement negotiation of numerous statewide municipalities in civil rights, police liability and general litigation matters
  • Representation of a Louisiana Fortune 500 company, the largest supplier of piping fabrication systems in the United States, in various commercial litigation and general litigation issues
  • Successful defense of a national timber company in a lawsuit involving the protection of the largest bald cypress tree in the United States, located in St. Francisville, Louisiana
  • Representation of a local electrical contractor in the defense of electrocution and wrongful death claims
  • Representation of major US airlines in passenger litigation involving air turbulence, and in the defense of personal injury claims
Education

John earned his B.A. from the University of Dallas in 1987. He earned his J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 1992.

Admissions
  • Admitted, Louisiana, 1992; Texas, 2010
Memberships
  • Baton Rouge, Louisiana State and American Bar Associations; Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel (Board of Directors)
Articles, Publications and Presentations
  • Finders, Keepers: Deposition Preparation Material and the Work Product Doctrine in the Fifth Circuit, Texas Law Blog, April 17, 2023
  • Onshore/Offshore Emergency Response – Lessons Learned from The Lawyers on The Ground, Propane Gas Defense Association Fall Meeting, Santa Fe, NM, September 30, 2022
  • Onshore/Offshore Emergency Response – Lessons Learned from The Lawyers on The Ground, Stay Out of Hot Water, A Kean Miller CLE, Houston, TX, April 21, 2022 
  • Reel Ethics, Association of Corporate Counsel Louisiana Chapter CLE, September 2015
  • Preparing Your Client for a Difficult Deposition, LADC Winter Meeting, February 2013
  • Improving Municipal Officials' Relationships, Panel Member, Louisiana Municipal Association Mid-Winter Conference, Baton Rouge, 2012
  • Civil Rights and Police Misconduct Litigation, LA. Association Defense Counsel Winter Meeting, 2007
  • Civil Rights Litigation, Baton Rouge Bar Association, CLE by the hour, 2006
  • Recent Developments in Municipal Law, Louisiana City Attorneys Fall Conference, 1999
  • Municipal and Government Liability—Recent Developments, Baton Rouge Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Seminar, 1996, 1997
  • What you need to know about Sec. 1983 Litigation - NBI Emerging Issues in Civil Rights Litigation in Louisiana, 1998.(publication only)
Community Service
  • Board of Directors, Junior Achievement of Greater Baton Rouge and Acadiana, Inc.
  • Graduate, Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 2003
  • Volunteer Teacher, Jr. Achievement Program, St. Jude the Apostle School
  • Baton Rouge Business Report's "Forty Under 40", 2002
  • Board of Directors, President, ARC - Baton Rouge (Supporting Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities)
  • Member, Baton Rouge Symphony Young Patrons Organization
  • Member, Service Committee, St. Jude The Apostle Athletic Association
  • Member, Pro Bono Committee, Baton Rouge Bar Association
  • Judge, LSU Law Center Appellate Advocacy Competition
  • Soccer Coach, St. Jude Intramural Athletic Program, Baton Rouge Soccer Association
  • Member, St. Joseph's Academy School Board
  • Golf Coordinator, St. Jude the Apostle School, 5th-8th Grade (2006 - present)
Reported Cases
  • Young v. City of Plaquemine, 2002 Westlaw 963442, La. App. 1st Cir. 5/10/02.
  • Perry v. City of Bogalusa, 2000-2281, 804 So.2d 895 (La. App. 1st Cir. 12/28/01.
  • Hall v. Zen-Noh Grain Corporation, CA 01-766, 803 So.2d 203 (La. App. 5th Cir. 11/28/01).
  • Doe v. Louisiana Municipal Association, 99-539, 746 So.2d 179 (La. App. 5th Cir. 10/26/99).
  • Keller v. City of Plaquemine, 96-1933, 700 So.2d 1285 (La. App. 1st Cir. 9/23/97)
  • Couvillion v. Shelter Mutual Insurance Company, 95-1186, 672 So.2d 277 (La. App. 1st. Cir. 4/4/96).
  • Tugger v. Continental Casualty Insurance Company, 27-04047, 658 So.2d, 769 (La. App. 2nd Cir. 6/21/95).
  • Black v. State through The Department of Public Safety & Corrections, 94-1305, 657 So.2d 270 (La. App. 3rd Cir. 5/17/95).