13 Jan 2026
John A. Pearce Rejoins Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as Partner in Salt Lake City
"John A. Pearce joins Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Salt Lake City as a partner, focusing on complex commercial litigation and appellate advocacy."
Pearce is a former Associate Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court who brings more than 16 years of public service across Utah's judicial and executive branches, including a decade on the state's highest court. He served on the Utah Supreme Court until retiring on December 1, 2025, and spent more than three years as Associate Chief Justice. At Wilson Sonsini, Pearce will focus on complex commercial litigation, appellate advocacy, and strategic counseling for clients facing high‑stakes disputes. He is joining the firm at partner level.
Pearce began his legal career as a securities litigation associate at Wilson Sonsini in Palo Alto before relocating to Utah in 1999 to join Jones Waldo, where he became a partner and served on the firm's board of directors and executive management committee. From 2009 to 2013, he served as general counsel to Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert. He was appointed to the Utah Court of Appeals in 2013 and elevated to the Utah Supreme Court in 2015, from which he most recently retired as Associate Chief Justice.
In addition to his judicial service, Pearce is an adjunct professor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah and holds a B.S. from the University of Utah and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.