John Ray Nelson
Washington
Foster Garvey PC
618 West Riverside Avenue
Suite 300
Spokane, WA 99201
Tel: 509.777.1604
Email:
john.nelson@foster.com
Web:
www.foster.com
John Ray Nelson is a Principal at Foster Garvey PC and an experienced trial lawyer whose practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, intellectual property disputes, real estate litigation, employment, and environmental matters. Based in Spokane, Washington, he has represented businesses and individuals as lead counsel in state and federal courts throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Utah, earning a reputation for strategic advocacy in high-stakes civil litigation.
John has handled a broad range of sophisticated disputes, including commercial contract and construction disputes; wage and hour class action defense; partnership dissolution matters; real estate litigation involving sales contracts, boundary disputes, easements, and water rights; employment claims involving discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge, and restrictive covenants; and environmental litigation arising under the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, toxic tort, trespass, nuisance, contamination, insurance recovery, and environmental cleanup allocation. He has tried over 40 matters, and has twice prevailed against nine-figure claims, once through jury verdict after a six-week trial.
Before entering private practice, John served as a law clerk for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, gaining valuable insight into the judicial process. He has also demonstrated leadership within the legal profession as Chair of the Washington State Bar Association’s Litigation Section, Chair of the Eastern District of Washington’s Federal Bar Association, and Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, reflecting his longstanding commitment to the practice and advancement of civil litigation.
John regularly earns recognition from peers and media outlets relating to his litigation prowess and trial experience. John is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, where he serves as a member of its Trial Law Institute. He has been consistently recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and has been twice named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in Spokane. John has been recognized among Spokane’s Top Lawyers for many years.
John earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 1986 after completing a Master of Arts in Economics at the University of Washington and graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Science from Utah State University. He is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Washington, Utah, and Idaho, as well as the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits.
The firm’s Litigation practice represents clients in a wide range of complex disputes, from internal employment and whistleblower matters to high-value commercial litigation, government investigations, and intellectual property conflicts. Working closely with clients to understand their objectives, the team develops strategic, practical solutions tailored to each matter, whether through early resolution, injunctive relief, arbitration, or trial.
With more than 60 litigation attorneys, the firm has extensive experience representing clients in state and federal courts, administrative proceedings, and alternative dispute resolution forums. The practice encompasses a broad range of litigation disciplines, including class actions, appellate advocacy, antitrust, construction, environmental, financial services, healthcare, insurance, employment, securities, real estate, privacy and cybersecurity, white-collar defense, and constitutional law, among many others. The team boasts exceptional depth and experience at trial, including multiple practitioners who regularly represent clients at jury and bench trials, as well as in arbitrations.
Multiple outlets that take client and peer opinions into account recognize the Litigation team’s strength, particularly in Washington and Oregon. This includes team-level recognition from Chambers USA in both Washington and Oregon Litigation, as well as in a variety of other practice areas encompassing litigation, including Environmental, Intellectual Property and Healthcare. Legal 500 also recognizes a number of the firm’s Washington and Oregon-based litigators, as well as its commercial disputes practice nationally.
Serving clients across diverse industries, the firm’s litigators combine deep subject matter knowledge with a commercial understanding of litigation risk and cost. By providing strategic guidance, flexible fee arrangements, and disciplined case management, the team helps clients navigate complex disputes efficiently while pursuing the most favorable outcome possible.
Foster Garvey PC is a full-service law firm representing businesses, public entities, nonprofit organizations, and individuals across the United States. With a history spanning more than a century and approximately 150 attorneys practicing from offices nationwide, including Seattle, Portland, Washington, D.C., New York, Spokane and Tulsa, the firm provides strategic legal counsel to clients across a broad range of industries, combining national capabilities with deep regional experience.
The firm’s multidisciplinary practice encompasses commercial litigation, corporate and transactional matters, labor and employment, real estate, intellectual property, environmental law, government relations, tax, trusts and estates, and regulatory compliance, among many other areas. Working collaboratively across practice groups, Foster Garvey advises clients through every stage of business growth, operational challenges, and complex legal disputes, delivering practical solutions tailored to their objectives.
Foster Garvey is recognized for its commitment to client service, industry knowledge, and responsive legal counsel, with many of its attorneys receiving recognition from leading legal directories and publications. Alongside its legal practice, the firm maintains a strong tradition of community involvement, pro bono service, and professional collaboration, reflecting its longstanding commitment to serving both clients and the communities in which it operates.
“John Ray Nelson is widely regarded as one of Eastern Washington’s leading commercial trial lawyers, with extensive experience handling complex disputes across multiple jurisdictions. Clients value his strategic judgment, disciplined preparation, and ability to manage high-stakes litigation involving intellectual property, contracts, real estate, employment, and environmental matters”