John R. W. Cracken

Practice Area: Civil litigation.

Mr. Cracken represents businesses and individuals in civil litigation. He acts as general counsel for his clients, identifying their best claims, identifying and recruiting the best law firms to jointly represent his clients in the prosecution of their claims, and then participating in the related litigation.

For example:

Today, Mr. Cracken serves as co-counsel in the joint representation of: (1) more than 1,400 Georgia claimants in PFAS contamination litigation; (2) more than 3,000 claimants nationwide in Depo-Provera® litigation; (3) more than 2,200 claimants nationwide in Roundup® litigation; (4) more than 2,700 claimants nationwide in Camp Lejeune toxic-water litigation; (5) more than 200 claimants nationwide in cow’s milk-based infant formula litigation involving necrotizing enterocolitis; (6) more than 300 claimants nationwide in paraquat herbicide litigation involving neurological injury; (7) more than 58,000 claimants nationwide in prenatal Tylenol® litigation; (8) more than 3,000 claimants nationwide in ranitidine litigation; (9) more than 1,000 claimants nationwide in Combat Arms Earplug® litigation; (10) more than 1,500 claimants nationwide in cosmetic talc litigation; (11) more than 1,100 claimants nationwide in inferior vena cava filter litigation; and (12) more than 700,000 Georgia claimants in class litigation concerning automated overdraft practices by a major financial institution.

Further, in recent years, Mr. Cracken has served as co-counsel in the joint representation and resolution of claims on behalf of: (1) more than 1,000 claimants in California pesticide exposure litigation involving alleged neurodevelopmental risks; (2) more than 2,000 California wildfire claimants pursuing individual recovery through the PG&E Fire Victim Trust bankruptcy proceedings; (3) more than 1,300 claimants nationwide in Roundup® litigation; (4) more than 56,000 Midwest corn producers and non-producers in litigation arising from the commercial launch of Viptera® and Duracade™ GMO corn seed; (5) more than 1,800 claimants nationwide in Pradaxa® and Xarelto® litigation; (6) more than 2,000 claimants nationwide in transvaginal mesh litigation; (7) more than 15,000 claimants in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area in motor-vehicle collision litigation; and (8) more than 100,000 claimants nationwide in Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation involving consumer-reporting agencies, including more than 70,000 individual Texas state-court filings.

Since 2010, Mr. Cracken has served as co-counsel in the joint representation of clients in all 50 states.

Track Record:

$15,465,169 (2023–2025) — Settlements in connection with MDL No. 2913.

$150,673,595 (2023–2025) — Settlements in connection with MDL No. 2885.

$152,626,375 (2022–2025) — Settlements in connection with MDL No. 2741.

$8,746,082 (2020–2025) — Settlements in connection with MDL No. 2385.

$34,913,260 (2020–2025) — Settlements in connection with MDL No. 2592.

$93,134,610 (2019–2025) — Settlements in connection with MDL Nos. 2570 and 2641.

$125,829,254 (2015–2025) — Settlements in connection with various transvaginal mesh MDLs.

$4,070,579 (2023–2024) — Settlements in connection with MDL No. 2924.

$17,872,323 (2019–2024) — Settlements in connection with claims arising from medications used to treat Type 2 diabetes resulting in diabetic ketoacidosis.

$49,612,604 (2018–2023) — Settlements in connection with federal MDL No. 2750.

$1,456,436,155 (2019) — Settlements in connection with the PG&E Fire Victim Trust.

$300,000,000 (2019) — Settlements in connection with prenatal exposure to certain pesticides and resulting childhood developmental and learning disabilities.

$491,120,368 (2018) — Settlement in connection with federal MDL No. 2591 and state MDL No. 3785.

$52,000,000 (2015) — Settlements in connection with New Mexico negligence claims involving a fixed-base operator, fuel distributor, fuel refiner, and pilot.

$19,084,345 (2014–2016) — Settlements in connection with Texas breach-of-contract and bad-faith insurance claims.

$34,000,000 (2014) — Settlement in connection with Georgia statutory claims involving the unlawful administration of an automated overdraft program by a state bank.

$6,900,000 (2013) — Settlement in connection with New Mexico negligence claims involving directors and officers in the mismanagement of a company.

$27,738,002 (2013) — Settlements in connection with federal Fair Credit Reporting Act claims involving a consumer-reporting agency.

$5,600,000 (2012) — Settlement in connection with Georgia statutory claims involving the unlawful administration of an automated overdraft program by a state bank.

$41,155,500 (2012) — Settlements in connection with New Mexico negligence claims involving directors and officers in the mismanagement of an aircraft-manufacturing company.

Co-Counsel

Arnold & Itkin (Houston, Texas)

Ashby Thelen Lowry (Marietta, Georgia)

Aylstock Witkin Kreis & Overholtz (Pensacola, Florida)

Baron & Blue (Dallas, Texas)

Beasley Allen Crow Methvin Portis & Miles (Montgomery, Alabama)

Bondurant Mixson & Elmore (Atlanta, Georgia)

The Cates Law Firm (Swansea, Illinois)

Clark Love & Hutson (Houston, Texas)

Egolf Ferlic Martinez Cox (Santa Fe, New Mexico)

Ferrer Poirot & Wansbrough (Dallas, Texas)

Finley Law Firm (Columbus, Georgia)

Freese & Goss (Dallas, Texas)

Gerald Davidson Jr. (Lawrenceville, Georgia)

Gray, Ritter & Graham (St. Louis, Missouri)

Guerra Law Firm (San Antonio, Texas)

Gustafson Gluek (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Jaramillo Law Firm (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Ketchmark and McCreight (Kansas City, Kansas)

Lanier Law Firm (Houston, Texas)

Matthews Law Firm (Houston, Texas)

Meyers & Flowers (Chicago, Illinois)

MoloLamken Law Firm (Washington, DC)

Paul Law Firm (Kansas City, Missouri)

Pulaski Kherkher (Houston, Texas)

Schwebel Goetz & Sieben (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Stranch, Jennings & Garvey (St. Louis, Missouri)

TorHoerman Law Firm (Edwardsville, Illinois)

Tracey & Fox Law Firm (Houston, Texas)

Turnbull, Holcomb & Moak (Birmingham, Alabama)

Watts Law Firm (Austin, Texas)

Recent Honors

2025 AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell (also, AV Preeminent® in 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, and 1997).

2025 Super Lawyer®, Thomson Reuters (also, a Super Lawyer in 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013).

2025 Best Lawyers®, Best Lawyers.

Education

University of Texas at Austin (BBA, 1984) and University of Texas at Austin School of Law (JD, 1987).

Intramural competition: First Place, Best Advocate, Best Brief, Hildebrand Moot Court Competition; Finalist, Hildebrand Moot Court Competition.

National competition: National Champion, ATLA (AAJ) Mock Trial Competition; Member, National Moot Court Team.

Honors: Member, Order of the Barrister; Member, Tau Beta Pi; President, Phi Eta Sigma; Goodfellow Award, Cactus Yearbook.

Service organizations: Member, Texas Wranglers; Board member, University Co-op.

Admissions

Admitted: State of Texas (1987).