John A. Whitesides

Contact Me: 916-564-6100 – Ext. 201
Fax: 916-564-6263

Biography

Mr. Whitesides, a principal attorney of the firm, manages the firm’s appellate practice and tackles a number of civil rights cases. Mr. Whitesides possesses a wealth of experience across various lines of insurance, encompassing auto/truckers, general liability, property, credit, disability, health, life, and inland marine. His expertise extends to insurance policy drafting and providing representation to insurers concerning insureds’ bankruptcy matters.
In his legal practice, Mr. Whitesides collaborates closely with his clients to gain a comprehensive grasp of the fundamental legal issues inherent in each case. He then endeavors to formulate the most efficient and effective strategies for addressing these issues. His colleagues note his matter-of-fact approach to dealing with cases that often results in early resolution and low discovery costs as well as his passion for detailed legal analysis and seemingly intuitive understanding of case law.
Mr. Whitesides graduated from U.C. Irvine, magna cum laude and phi beta kappa, with a B.A. in Philosophy. He obtained his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Duke Law School in 1986 and subsequently gained admission to practice law in California in the same year. Before joining Angelo, Kilday & Kilduff in 2007, he had a substantial legal career as an associate and partner in another prominent defense firm based in Sacramento.
For 21 years, he dedicated himself to the litigation of cases across the entire spectrum of insurance-related matters. His litigation experience encompassed all phases, from pre-litigation stages through trial proceedings. Notably, he handled cases in various jurisdictions, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, and Delaware. Primarily responsible for pretrial, trial and appeal of largest civil case in Sacramento County Superior Court’s history which spanned 17 years at the trial level. He has conducted ADC and CEB courses on insurance law, and has conducted an annual California Insurance regulation claim-handling training for claims adjusters. Mr. Whitesides has also served for many years on the Voluntary Dispute Resolution Panel for the United States District Court for the Eastern District in Sacramento. Mr. Whitesides also finds joy in quality time spent with his daughter, Jenna, as well as his two Greyhounds, Hoss and Stacy.

Practice Areas

  • Appeals
  • Insurance Litigation
  • Law Enforcement; Civil Rights
  • Malicious Prosecution
  • Contracts
  • Agency Issues
  • General Torts

Bar Admissions

  • California, 1986
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of California

Past Positions

  • Bolling, Walter & Gawthrop, Shareholder and Associate

Education

  • Duke University School of Law, Durham, North Carolina
    • J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence – 00/1986
  • University of California, Irvine, California
    • B.A., Bachelor of Arts – 00/1983
    • Honors: Phi Beta Kappa

Representative Cases

  • Mann et. al v. City of Sacramento et. al (9th Cir. Sept. 7, 2018) No. 17-17048, 2018 WL 4268534
  • Peruta v. County of San Diego (9th Cir. 2016) 824 F.3d 919, cert. denied sub nom. Peruta v. California, 137 S. Ct. 1995, 198 L. Ed. 2d 746 (2017)
  • Meddock v. County of Yolo (2013) 220 Cal.App.4th 170
  • Buzayan v. City of Davis Police Department, et. al (9th Cir. 2011) 431 Fed. Appx. 551
  • Fabbrini v. Dunsmuir (9th Cir. 2011) 631 F.3d 1299
  • Johnson v. Lewis (2004) 120 Cal.App.4th 443
  • Peppermill v. Industrial Indemnity Co. (9th Cir. 1995) 46 F.3d 1144.
  • Sacore Partnership Cases (1996) Sacramento Superior Court Case No. C034522

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • State Bar of California, Member
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • Sacramento Bar Association, Member
  • Torts and Insurance Law section of the ABA
  • Association of Defense Counsel