John P. Maxwell

John joined Fitzpatrick, Zimmerman & Rose in 2024, and has been licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio since 1994. John formerly practiced law with two other firms in the New Philadelphia and Canton areas since 1996.

John is licensed to practice in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, as well in various federal courts. John’s practice areas include litigation, personal injury, family law, divorces and dissolutions, business law, contract law, probate, wills and trusts, real estate transactions and disputes, collections, foreclosures, and banking. He has litigated cases at all levels of Ohio’s courts, including the Ohio Supreme Court. John has been recognized by “Ohio Super Lawyers” since 2013, by “America’s Best Lawyers” since 2016, and he maintains the highest rating of “AV” (“Preeminent” with “Very High Ethics”) with the Martindale-Hubbell law directory peer review rating system.

John completed his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame, in 1991, and graduated cum laude from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1994. After graduating from law school at Ohio State, John served as a Judicial Law Clerk from 1994 to 1996 for the Honorable Robert L. Miller, Jr., Chief Judge, United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana.

John is extensively involved in the community. He has served on the Dover City Schools Board of Education since 2012, the Tuscarawas County Community Foundation Board of Directors since 2012, and the Tuscarawas County Philharmonic Orchestra Board of Directors since 2018.

Practice Areas

Business Law
Contract Law
Family Law
Divorces and Dissolutions
Personal Injury Law
Probate Law
Wills
Trusts
Real Estate Transactions
Real Estate Disputes
Collections, Foreclosures, Banking
General Litigation

Education

University of Notre Dame, B.A., magna cum laude, 1991
Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1994

Community Involvement

President: Dover City Schools Board of Education, 2012-Present
Vice President, Board of Directors: Tuscarawas County Community Foundation, 2012-Present
President, Board of Directors: Tuscarawas Philharmonic Orchestra – 2018-Present
Former Building Advisory Committee: Dover City Schools, 2011
Board of Directors, Former President, Executive Committee, Capital Campaign Steering Committee and Human Resources Committee Chair: American Red Cross, Muskingum Lakes Chapter, 1998-2013
Board Member: American Red Cross Stark County Regional Chapter Advisory Council, 2007—2010
Board Member: Tuscarawas County Law Library, 2006—2011
Free Legal Clinic Volunteer, Law Day Volunteer, Mock Trial Judge: Tuscarawas County Bar Association
Former Parish Council and Vice President: St. Joseph Parish, Dover, Ohio, 2004—2008
St. Joseph Parish Knights of Columbus, 2005-Present
Dominic Greco Memorial Community Band, 2006-Present
Board of Directors: Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Public Interest Law Foundation, 1991—1994

Legal Accomplishments

· “AV” rating (“Preeminent” with “Very High Ethics”), Martindale-Hubbell law directory peer review rating system.
· Named to the list of “Ohio Super Lawyers”®, 2013-2024
· Named to “Best Lawyers in America,” 2016-2024
· “Superb” rating (10.0 on a 10.0 scale), Avvo.com lawyer rating system
· Appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court as a Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentor for newly admitted attorneys (2009-2014, 2017-2018)
· Judge Joseph M. Harter Memorial Award for Trial Practice, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (1994)
· Jurisprudence Award for Trial Practice, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (1993)
· Award in recognition of distinguished service as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Robert L. Miller, Jr., Chief Judge, United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana (1996)

Judicial Clerkship

Judicial Law Clerk, Honorable Robert L. Miller, Jr., Chief Judge, United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana (1994-1996)

Family

John is a native of Holmes County, and has lived in Tuscarawas County since 1996. He lives in Dover with his wife, Vicki, where they raised three children.