John F. Butler

PARTNER

john.f.butler@BKBfirm.com
(757) 299-0515
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John F. Butler is a Partner at Baughman Kroup Bosse in the firm’s Norfolk office. His practice focuses on representing companies, boards, and executives in complex commercial and white collar litigation, government and regulatory enforcement matters, and internal investigations. He brings two decades of experience as a federal prosecutor, military defense attorney, and Navy judge to matters involving significant legal and reputational risk. John has handled more than 500 federal matters and tried 32 federal jury trials to verdict.

Before joining BKB, John served as the Managing Assistant United States Attorney for the Norfolk Division of the Eastern District of Virginia, where he led 60 prosecutors and staff while maintaining an active trial docket. His work included health care fraud, money laundering, racketeering, complex narcotics conspiracies, and national security matters. He also served as a Virginia Assistant Attorney General.

John twice received the Attorney General's John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation, one of the Department of Justice’s highest honors, for his work on a seven-week racketeering trial and a five-week health care fraud trial.

He served for twenty years in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, where he was certified as a general courts-martial judge, an appellate judge for the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, and as a military justice specialist. He deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, advising on operational law, governance, foreign claims, and other legal matters during combat operations.

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Education

  • United States Naval War College, M.A., National Security Policy & Strategic Studies (2015)

  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. (2006)
    Criminal Justice Clinic; Greenfield Trial Practice Award

  • Georgetown University, B.A., American Government (2001)
    Georgetown Crew

Recognition

  • Attorney General's John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation (2022, 2024), two-time recipient

  • National Healthcare Anti-Fraud Association Investigation of the Year (2022)

  • FBI Director's Award (2016, 2018 twice, 2019), four-time recipient

  • Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys Director's Award (2017)

  • DEA Award for Public Service (2017)

  • Federal Bar Association Young Federal Attorney of the Year (2013)

  • Navy Prosecutor of the Year (2010)

  • Navy Personal Awards: Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal; Navy Commendation Medal (3); Navy Achievement Medal (4); Afghanistan Campaign Medal; and NATO ISAF Medal

Bar & Court Admissions

BAR ADMISSIONS 

  • Virginia


COURT ADMISSIONS

  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

  • Investigations

    • Trial counsel in a prosecution arising from a multi-agency investigation into a decade-long, $20 million fraud on commercial insurers — coordinating FBI, HHS-OIG, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, commercial insurers, forensic accountants, and medical experts across specialties. The investigation led to a five-week federal jury trial involving 52 felony counts, 60 trial witnesses, and more than 3,500 patient records.

    • Led an international money laundering investigation coordinating more than a dozen federal districts, Department of Justice components, and foreign prosecutors.

    • Led multiple Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operations spanning multiple federal districts, including Title III wiretap investigations.

    • Oversaw national security matters requiring Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) access.

    Criminal Litigation

    • Prosecuted a multi-defendant continuing criminal enterprise case built from four investigations across multiple states, involving a three-week jury trial that included 60 witnesses and nearly 1,000 exhibits.

    • Tried multiple multi-week RICO cases against a national organized crime group, including a seven-week trial resulting in five murder convictions, one for the retaliatory killing of a witness.

    • Lead counsel in a multi-week narcotics trafficking trial after an investigation requiring the coordination of more than 300 agents across five federal districts.

    • Briefed appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

    • Tried more than 60 courts-martial as Navy prosecutor and defense counsel, including 21 to verdict before military panels.

    Advisory and Leadership

    • Served as senior executive of a 60-person federal litigation office, with responsibility for case intake, staffing, hiring, and trial strategy across the Hampton Roads region. Served as liaison to federal judges, law enforcement agency heads, and state and community leaders.

    • Senior legal advisor to the U.S. Commander at Kandahar Airfield during combat operations, covering operational law, detainee matters, foreign claims, and governance.

    • LEAD Hampton Roads.

    • University of Virginia’s Political Leaders Program (Sorensen Institute).

  • United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division

    • Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney (2022-2025)

    • Assistant U.S. Attorney (2018-2022)

    • Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and Virginia Assistant Attorney General (2015-2018)

     

    United States Navy – Judge Advocate General’s Corps (Navy JAG)

    • Reserves (2014-2027) General Courts-Martial Military Judge (Rank: Commander)

    • Active Duty (2006-2014)

    • Veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom (Kandahar, Afghanistan)

    Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, Washington, D.C.

    • Legislative Specialist (2003-2005)