John Hall was Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department from 1993-2002 and is a retired partner who is currently of counsel to the firm. Mr. Hall represented clients such as Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and its portfolio companies, Kelso & Company and its portfolio companies, Alliance Capital Management Corporation, The American Stock Exchange, Bairnco Corporation, MBIA, Cablevision, Phelps Dodge Corporation, AXA Financial Corporation, North Castle Partners, Blackrock Funds and Dundee Bancorp. in securities-related litigation, regulatory matters and other types of commercial litigation. Mr. Hall advised clients in connection with internal investigations and FCPA matters, representing a broad range of companies that included Alliance Capital and US Trust. Mr. Hall also worked the groundbreaking Siemens FCPA internal investigation, which spanned 34 countries. He has been admitted to practice before and has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and several of the U.S. Courts of Appeals.

Throughout his career at Debevoise, Mr. Hall has facilitated the pro bono work of younger lawyers, focusing on criminal defense work, as well as prisoners' rights and prison conditions cases. He has led Debevoise teams in representing six death-sentenced inmates in post conviction proceedings in Florida, Louisiana, Virginia, Alabama (2) and Texas.

Mr. Hall is the co-author of Takeovers (Butterworth’s, 2d ed. 1993). He has been a member of the Board of Directors and the Secretary of Prep for Prep since 1986. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Welfare Law Center (now National Center for Law and Economic Justice) and was a member of the Board of Directors of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (1988-2000), Volunteers of Legal Services (1990-1996), Community Law Offices (1974-2000) and Legal Aid Society (1980-1988). Mr. Hall is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the American Bar Association’s Litigation, Business Law and Criminal Justice Sections, American Judicature Society, the Supreme Court Historical Society, The Law Society of England and Wales and the Global Counsel 3000 and Fellow of the Board of Directors of the New York Bar Foundation. Global Counsel-Dispute Resolution Handbook (2004-2005) and PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook (2006) recommended Mr. Hall as a leading litigator. 

Mr. Hall joined Debevoise in 1969 and was made a partner in 1979. From 1972-1973, he was the Associate Director of the Community Law Offices. Mr. Hall received his B.A. from Wesleyan University in 1965 and his J.D. magna cum laude from Columbia Law School in 1969, where he was a Stone Scholar and member of the Columbia Law Review. He was admitted to the Bar in New York in 1970 and is admitted to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fourth, Fifth, Tenth, Eleventh and District of Columbia Circuits, and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York and Eastern District of Wisconsin.