Attorneys

Jon E. Brightmire focuses his practice on civil litigation , both at the trial and appellate level in state and federal courts.  Jon's achievements have earned him inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Appellate Law.  In 2010, Jon is one of only six lawyers in the state of Oklahoma listed in Best Lawyers in the area of Appellate Law.  Jon is also recognized by Chambers and Partners USA in Labor & Employment Law.

Jon has handled a wide variety of litigation matters at the trial court level involving contract disputes, insurance coverage issues, employment issues, civil rights, products liability, breach of warranty, commercial fraud, ERISA, telecommunications, and zoning appeals.  

Jon's appellate experience is extensive, as he has been involved in over 150 appeals in his career. In the past few years alone he has briefed cases in the United States Supreme Court and the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and has briefed and argued cases in the Fifth, Seventh, and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeals involving, among other topics, antitrust, labor and employment, civil rights, products liability, telecommunications, trademarks, ERISA, tax, First Amendment, defamation, privacy, and family law issues. A few of the recent appellate decisions in which he has been lead appellate counsel include:  

• Weber v. GE Group Life Assur. Co, 541 F.3d 1002 (10th Cir. 2008) (ERISA);
• Brown v. Hartford Life Ins. Co., 2008 WL 5102279 (10th Cir. Dec. 5, 2008) (ERISA)
• Showler v. Harper's Magazine Foundation, 222 Fed. Appx. 755, 2007 WL 867188 (10th Cir. 2007), cert. denied, 76 USLW 3001, 2007 WL 1833512 (Oct. 1, 2007) (First Amendment, invasion of privacy, and other tort issues);
• Cameron v. American Electric Power Service Corp., 2007 WL 2575513 (10th Cir. Sept 7, 2007) (ERISA);
• Green Country Food Market, Inc. v. Bottling Group, L.L.C., 371 F.3d 1275 (10th Cir. 2004) (antitrust issues);
• U.S. Cellular v. City of Broken Arrow , 340 F.3d 1122 (10th Cir. 2003) (telecommunications);
• Belcher v. City of McAlester, Oklahoma , 324 F.3d 1203 (10th Cir. 2003) (First Amendment);
• McBride v. Citgo Petroleum Corp., 281 F.3d 1099 (10th Cir. 2002) (employment issues);
• Trustees of the Charles Page Family Care Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust v. Siegel, 2001 OK CIV APP 146, 38 P.2d 919 (property issues);
• Sigmon v. CommunityCare HMO, 234 F.3d 1121 (10th Cir. 2000) (civil rights violations).
• Pack v. K-Mart Corp., 166 F.3d 1300 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 811 (1999) (employment Issues)

Jon has also prepared and filed amicus curiae briefs on behalf of clients who are not parties to the appeal, but who will be affected by the Court's resolution of the issues before it. He traces his interest in appellate law to his father, Paul W. Brightmire, who served on the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals for over 23 years. 

Jon received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Oklahoma State University in 1982, graduating with honors, and his law degree from the University of Texas in 1985, also graduating with honors. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fifth, Seventh, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits, and all Oklahoma state and federal courts. 

Jon's community involvement includes serving on the board of directors of Tulsa Court Appointed Special Advocates, a non-profit agency which represents abused and neglected children in court, where he was board President in 2003 and 2004.