My Legal Career

John C. Sigler, Esquire

 

As you have undoubtedly gathered by now, the practice of law is a second career for me. (See Police Career Page). Obviously, my four years in the Navy do not count as a career - just a growing up process. (See Military Service Page).

The Beginning:

Like many lawyers, my legal career actually began while in law school when I was "clerking" part-time for a small two-lawyer firm in Dover, Delaware. I was still working fulltime as a police officer and going to school at night - sleep? Who needs sleep?

I was lucky and passed the Delaware Bar Exam on the first try - many Delaware lawyers, including quite a few judges, cannot lay claim to this feat. As a result I was admitted to practice as a member of the Delaware Bar.

I was still a police officer, so I became in-house legal counsel to the Chief of Police and worked parttime in the same small firm for which I had clerked. My practice at that time was exclusively civil law, mostly employment law, corporate law, and some personal injury law.

Private Practice:

Upon my retirement from the police department, I stayed with the same small firm. Soon thereafter our firm merged with a larger firm. Still an Associate, my practice expanded to include criminal defense, general business, corporate governance, and corporate compliance.

Corporate Practice:

As sometimes happens with corporate clients, one of my clients made an offer I simply could not refuse, and I left private practice to become in-house General Counsel for a firm that was on the cusp of growth and expansion. That firm was in the business of providing mental and behavioral health services pursuant to government contract.

Because that company had business in both Delaware and Maryland, I also became a member of the Maryland Bar.

During the twenty-five years I was in that company as General Counsel, that single company expanded to become multiple companies, both for profit and not-for-profit, all under the umbrella of a central holding company. I brought all those companies into existence, and all were my responsibility in terms of contract, corporate and regulatory compliance, and corporate governance. I continued my practice in employment law, concentrating on such matters as employment discrimination defense and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

With business in Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, Georgia, Washington, D.C. and Florida, much of my time was spent hiring and supervising outside counsel, supervising on-going litigation and keeping abreast of the everchanging municipal, county, state, and federal laws affecting the business and the manner in which it serviced its dozens of government contracts, dealt with its employees and the clients (patients) served under those contracts. Not only did my office oversee and protect the various rights of employees, but also the rights of our clients (patients) and their families as well - think "HIPAA," among others.

As the General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, the Human Resources, Quality Assurance, and Risk Management departments reported to me, and I reported directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

My collateral duties included being the Chief Compliance Officer, the Public Information Officer, and the Legislative Liaison (lobbyist) for the company. It is natural for all businesses to grow and shrink and grow again over the course of time. At its peak, this company had almost nine hundred (900) employees spread over multiple jurisdictions in five states and the District of Columbia.

Along the way I managed to become admitted to the practice of law before the United States Supreme Court.

 

Return to Private Practice:

After twenty-five (25) years as in-house corporate counsel I "retired" and returned to work with the lawyer who brought me into the law, so many years ago. But this time private practice would be vastly different.

This time I joined the firm "Of Counsel," hired to represent a single client in an extremely complex and challenging case that had begun years before. This time, instead of practicing in multiple courts, I was litigating exclusively in Delaware's famed Court of Chancery.

After three years, the case was finally resolved, our client was happy, and it was time to bring my career to a close - almost.

Return to sanity:

I had already moved my bar status to "Inactive" in the State of Maryland upon leaving corporate practice. Upon the close of the Chancery Court case mentioned above, I moved my bar status to "Emeritus" in the State of Delaware and moved myself into semi-retirement. I am still associated the with same firm and the same lawyer with whom I began my legal career.

Adjunct Professor:

In addition to the regular practice of law, I also served as an adjunct professor for Wilmington University for many years, teaching a wide variety of graduate and undergraduate courses in business, criminal and employment law.

 

Delaware Association of Second Amendment Lawyers

Approximately twelve years ago I co-founded the Delaware Association of Second Amendment Lawyers. I also founded the Annual Delaware Firearms Law Seminar.

Pro Bono Publico:

My practice is now limited to pro bono work for non-profit entities and working in defense of the Second Amendment and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. (See Grassroots Activities Page).

I am a co-founder of the Delaware Association of Second Amendment Lawyers and the founder of the Delaware Firearms Law Seminar. I also serve as the pro bono general counsel for the Delaware State Sportsmen's Association, NRA's State Association in Delaware, serving as the Chairman of DSSA's Legal Affairs Committee.

I also serve as the chief strategist for DSSA's pro-Second Amendment litigation in the federal and state courts.

NRA and the Law

I currently serve on NRA's Legal Affairs Committee and as a trustee of the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund.

(Please see the Second Amendment Activist Page elsewhere on this website for more information about my extensive legal activities with regard to the Second Amendment.)