John O’Tuel is Assistant General Counsel at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and works in the Dispute Resolution & Prevention (DRP) group located in Research Triangle Park, NC. Since joining GSK in 2005, John has progressed through successive roles of increased responsibility within GSK’s Legal Department. As Assistant General Counsel within DRP, John focuses on reducing risk for the Company and managing a variety of litigation including antitrust matters, product liability cases, and a diverse collection of commercial litigation.
In addition to his case management duties, John is involved with litigation and IT processes with a focus on e-discovery. John chairs or participates in a variety of committees designed to reduce the Company’s risk and costs in the area of e-discovery. John speaks frequently at external engagements on a variety of topics including efforts to amend the Federal (and State) Rules of Civil Procedure and International Data Privacy issues. John worked for several years with Lawyers for Civil Justice to advocate the reforms to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that were embodied in the Amendments taking effect in December 2015. John was also named Chair of the Lawyers for Civil Justice Committee on Cost-Allocation Reform. John also works on privilege coordination issues, pro bono projects, and other Civil Justice reform efforts.
John earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from the University of North Carolina in 1992. John earned his law degree from Wake Forest University in 1997; he graduated cum laude and is a member of the Order of the Coif.
After law school, John clerked for the Honorable Alexander Denson in the Eastern District of North Carolina before joining the law firm Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice in Raleigh, NC. At Womble Carlyle, John’s practice focused on product liability litigation and commercial litigation. John left Womble Carlyle in 2005 to join GSK.