John Knowlton is the Head of Litigation for The Burton Law Firm. Mr. Knowlton’s Career has focused on civil litigation, with over 30 years of experience handling both small and large, complex litigation as well as traditional transactional business matters. Mr. Knowlton represents estates, trusts, and individuals as well as small to large sized private entities. Mr. Knowlton’s areas of practice specifically focus on Elder Abuse and Trust Litigation, Partnership and Shareholder Disputes, Fiduciary Litigation, Commercial Business and Contract Disputes, Insurance Litigation, Real Estate Disputes and related fields. Mr. Knowlton focuses on both pre-litigation dispute resolution as well as handing litigation throughout the State of California and Federal Court. He has taken or defended hundreds of depositions, has handled multiple cases in arbitration, as well as lead counsel on numerous and varied bench and jury trials to verdict.

Mr. Knowlton received his B.A. Degree from the University of California, San Diego in 1980, with a degree in Physiological Psychology. After working as a surgical assistant at the renowned Salk Institute for Biological Studies and then as a medical writer, Mr. Knowlton attended University of California at Los Angeles Attorney Assistant Program where he graduated with Honors, and then Southwestern University where he received his degree of Juris Doctor in 1989. Mr. Knowlton was the recipient of several academic awards at Southwestern University, including the Award of Exceptional Achievement in Moot Court and several American Jurisprudence Awards.

John was admitted to the California State Bar in 1989, and is also a member of all Federal District Courts in California and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Knowlton has taught several legal classes through the UCLA School of Law Extension and continues to serve as Judge Pro Tem through the Superior Court.

Mr. Knowlton also serves as a court appointed mediator and provides private mediation services in the areas of trust and estate litigation, business and commercial disputes and personal injury matters. As mediator, Mr. Knowlton utilizes his perspective gained from multiple trials, with his listening and “people reading” skills to enable the parties to reach a prompt resolution.

Mr. Knowlton has received the “Top Lawyer” award by Sacramento Magazine in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, in the area of Civil Litigation.