John F. Querio

Querio has worked on three major arbitration cases before the state Supreme Court in recent years, articulating arguments in support of the enforceability of mandatory arbitration provisions in employment and consumer contracts.

"Those three cases are going to set the future course for arbitration in California for years to come," Querio said.

The high court has ruled in two of the cases. It said arbitration provisions can be declared invalid if they are "unreasonably one-sided," and that an arbitration clause can prohibit a class action but can't prevent workers from bring group actions as stand-ins for the state. Querio said he hopes the final case will provide more clarity still.

"I strongly believe when done right it provides a more streamlined and efficient procedure for resolution of disputes than litigation, which is frequently time consuming, expensive and exhaustive for everybody."

For the most part, Querio has remained behind the scenes. While he has written countless briefs, he has made oral argument in just seven cases. His first argument seven years ago was "pretty terrifying," Querio said, "but as I have done more of them I have gotten into a rhythm."

As a kid, John Querio got lessons at the dinner table from his father about such landmark legal cases as Marbury v. Madison. Querio loved history, politics and public policy, and applied his interest with academic fervor. He graduated college from Princeton, law school from Stanford, and got a masters in international relations from Cambridge.

The legal profession ultimately won him over. "Law is a fascinating intersection of all those different areas," he said, "as well as helping clients solve their actual practical problem."

- Emily Green