Juan Jose Perez

Juan Jose “John” Perez is a founding member of the Perez Morris law firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Mr. Perez is admitted to practice in Ohio, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania. His national practice focuses on complex commercial and business litigation, including all forms of corporate transactions. He works vigorously with his team of lawyers to represent Fortune 500 and smaller companies, and regularly counsels businesses on a variety of corporate and legal matters.

He began his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Nicholas J. Walinski, a former federal judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Prior to starting his own law office in 1997, which became the Perez Morris firm two years later, Mr. Perez served as general counsel and vice president of administration for a publicly held company. In this role, he was responsible for the company’s domestic and international counsel, as well as its human resources, risk management and home office administrative functions.

Mr. Perez has served on the boards of Columbus First Bank (ALCO, IT, Governance and Loan Committees) and Mount Carmel Health System (2013-16 board chair and Finance, Executive and Governance Committees). He also has served on the University of Toledo Board of Trustees (Audit, Finance, Trustee and Governance Committees); the board of Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana (board chair); and as a member of the Governance Committee of the national Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.

Born in Texas, Mr. Perez was a migrant worker and traveled throughout the northwestern United States with his family before ultimately settling in Toledo, Ohio. He is a graduate of Lee University in Tennessee and the University of Toledo College of Law.

Mr. Perez currently resides in Westerville with his wife, Joan. They have three sons and five grandchildren. 

Appointed by: Gov. Mike DeWine
Term: 11/07/2022 – 05/13/2031