John O. Farley

John Farley is a trial lawyer with over 25 years’ experience resolving a notably wide range of high-stakes disputes. He focuses his practice on matrimonial and commercial disputes presenting complex valuation, jurisdictional, securities, accounting, and fraud issues.

John presently represents clients in New York, Florida, and Silicon Valley, in complex family law and commercial matters with amounts in controversy up to $16 billion.

Rare amongst his peers, John practiced for sixteen years at international law firms as a securities, commercial, and white-collar litigator, before focusing on representation of high net worth individuals and related entities. As a result, he represents clients in their most critical family law and commercial disputes.

“John Farley is a go-to for both matrimonial and commercial disputes.”

-- Legal 500: Private Client (2026)

John is lead counsel in perhaps the largest contested divorce in the U.S., concerning the true ownership of a global technology concern worth as much as $16 billion or more. Our team has obtained extraordinary results in this hotly contested California divorce action, including an order the trial judge called “unprecedented,” directing our client’s ex-husband to post a $1.7 billion personal bond to secure a portion of our client’s anticipated post-trial recovery.

John was lead trial counsel in a 21-day binding arbitration where he obtained an extraordinary result for the firm’s client, including a contested ruling that the largest item in controversy was his client’s separate property—a ruling which relied on an appellate victory obtained in 2021 by firm partner, Dan Rottenstreich, with John’s assistance.

John was co-lead trial counsel in a contested New York divorce action where he and his co-counsel obtained one of the largest post-judgment spousal maintenance and child support awards in New York history.

Before co-founding RFB+Fisher Potter Hodas, John and partners Dan Rottenstreich, Peter Bronstein, and Meredith Strauss prevailed at trial in the largest contested divorce in New York history. John was also a senior member of the team that settled on a highly favorable basis one of, if not the, largest hedge fund divorce cases ever to proceed to trial.

John has a proven appellate track record as well, with landmark New York appellate victories on critical issues in matrimonial law, including the provision of counsel fees to less-monied spouses in contested divorces and the categorization of assets for distribution in high net worth divorce actions.

The overwhelming majority of John’s matters is resolved via settlement. John embraces Alternative Dispute Resolution and prides himself on finding creative and fair solutions that permit his clients to resolve their disputes amicably and without unnecessary costs.

"He is extremely collegial and a pleasure to work with. He is highly sophisticated but writes well and simplifies brilliantly."

-- Chambers & Partners: Family Law/High Net Worth (2024)

But settlement is not always possible, and John is a creative and experienced trial lawyer who knows how to obtain stellar results.

“John Farley is a tremendous trial lawyer.”

-- Chambers & Partners Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth (2025)

John’s deep understanding of commercial, financial, securities, accounting, and valuation issues – and his ability to argue those issues crisply and persuasively -- is a product of his extraordinary professional experience.

He started his career at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he represented public companies in significant securities and antitrust matters. After leaving Cravath, he became an associate and eventually an equity partner at Goodwin Procter.

"He is great, I really like working with him. He is also commercial and very responsive. He listens and understands more complex matters with respect to valuing assets versus other firms and lawyers."

-- Chambers & Partners: Family Law/High Net Worth (2024)

“John Farley is a sophisticated lawyer with an exceptional understanding of financial issues . . . .”

“John Farley is excellent and commercial.”

-- Chambers & Partners Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth (2025)

While a partner at Goodwin, John represented Countrywide Financial Corporation in nationwide class-action litigation concerning more than $300 billion of mortgage-backed securities. He defended a hedge fund portfolio manager in connection with an alleged $275 million insider trading scheme. He represented a private equity fund in connection with an alleged accounting fraud arising from the $550 million sale of a specialty pharmaceutical distributor, the board and certain officers of Lyondell-Basell Industries in the wake of its $21 billion bankruptcy, and CreXus Investment Corporation in a landmark decision in the Maryland courts over “insider”-driven, go-private REIT transactions. He also served as

general outside litigation counsel to a healthcare private equity fund, where he acted as lead counsel in a post-closing dispute that ended in a three-week, 21-witness arbitration and a complete victory for his client—including a multi-million-dollar award of legal and expert witness fees.

John received his JD from New York University School of Law and his BA in English literature and philosophy from the University of Virginia. He lives in Westchester with his daughter, his wife, his stepson, and a varied assortment of dogs.

He is ranked as a go-to practitioner by Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 (in its inaugural 2026 rankings of Family Law firms, which selected the Firm as one of only three “Tier One” firms in the U.S.), Law Dragon, Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers.