John K. Roche

John Roche is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation group and the Privacy & Security Law group. He focuses his practice on commercial litigation and counseling, particularly in the areas of  privacy, security, Internet, communications, intellectual property, and employment law.

Commercial Litigation

Mr. Roche has tried numerous cases in state and federal court, in addition to arguing and prevailing before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.  These matters involve a variety of commercial litigation matters in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia courts as well as before various arbitration authorities.

Privacy, Security, Internet & Communications Law

Mr. Roche’s practice includes litigation and regulatory compliance counseling with regard to privacy, Internet and communications issues ranging from Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) to the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act, the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Communications Decency Act (CDA) and telemarketing laws. Additionally, Mr. Roche is well-versed in electronic surveillance issues related to the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), the Wiretap Act (Title III), the Pen/Trap Statutes, the Stored Communications Act (SCA), and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). He assists clients in their response to criminal, civil and administrative subpoenas as well as computer intrusions and theft of trade secrets and counsels clients with respect to compliance with European Union Directives on privacy, data protection, eCommerce and electronic communications services. He has also handled actions related to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and state computer intrusion laws. Mr. Roche represents telecommunications carriers before the FCC and numerous state commissions and has counseled providers of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.

Employment Law

Mr. Roche regularly litigates and counsels clients on a host of employment related matters, including wage claims, restrictive covenant and trade secret litigation, security policies, and employee privacy counseling.  In 2011, Mr. Roche also briefed and argued a successful appeal before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals related to a wage dispute for a major client in Virginia.

Intellectual Property

Mr. Roche has litigated numerous matters on behalf of the worlds largest software manufacturer in a comprehensive domestic brand integrity, trademark and copyright litigation effort, involving successful lawsuits in Maryland, Virginia and other jurisdictions against retailers, suppliers, and vendors engaged in the distribution of infringing items.

Pro Bono

Mr. Roche does a great deal of pro bono litigation in D.C. and Virginia state courts on issues ranging from landlord-tenant disputes to protective order petitions for victims of domestic violence. He has also handled several pro bono immigration matters before the federal government.

Professional Leadership

• International Association of Privacy Professionals, Certified Information Privacy Professional
• American Bar Association
• Virginia Bar Association
• District of Columbia Bar Association

Community Involvement

• Virginia Committee for Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve, Ombudsman 
• Legal Services of Northern Virginia, Domestic Violence Project, Volunteer Trial Counsel
• Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, Volunteer Trial Counsel
• Just Neighbors Immigrant Ministry, Volunteer Attorney
• William & Mary School of Law, Co-Counsel Mentoring Program

Related Employment

• Department of Justice, Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Intern, 2004
• Perkins Coie LLP, Washington, D.C., Summer Associate, 2003
• Office of the Public Defender, Fairfax County, Virginia, Intern, Summer 2002