In Fond Memory of University of San Diego (USD) School of Law Alumnus John D. Alessio ’91 (BS) ’94 (JD)
SAN DIEGO (September 11, 2024) — University of San Diego (USD) School of Law Alumnus John D. Alessio ’91 (BS) ’94 (JD), passed away on September 3, 2024, at the age of 55, after a brave battle with cancer. The entire University of San Diego community mourns his loss, as John was involved with several USD initiatives, including serving as a judge for the USD School of Business Fowler Business Concept Challenge and as a sponsor for several USD School of Law’s most critical events, including the Procopio International Tax Institute and the U.S. Supreme Court Swearing In Reception in Washington D.C.
A remarkable friend to the university, John always had a personal interest in everything he undertook. His USD Law colleagues reflect on the Swearing In Reception, when John flew to D.C. for one night to ensure that the memorial reception reflected the very best community event possible -– welcoming lawyers and business leaders alike. He took pride knowing that so many family members attended USD and graduated with degrees of which they and their families continue to be proud.
First elected a Managing Partner at Procopio in the fall of 2017 and re-elected twice, John guided the law firm through an unprecedented period of growth and success, navigating the firm through a global pandemic and a rapidly evolving legal marketplace. Under his leadership Procopio has grown both in revenue and geography, opening offices in Orange County, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., for a total of seven locations. During his leadership tenure Procopio secured numerous recognitions from Chambers and Partners and other peer-based awards programs, with its practice recognitions from Best Lawyers-Best Law Firms tripling.
A fourth-generation San Diegan, John demonstrated his commitment to community in many ways. Active in professional associations including Entrepreneurs Organization and PEERS San Diego, John also dedicated time to serving the broader local cross-border community. Most recently he served as a Director for the World Design Capital San Diego-Tijuana. He was also a founder of Red Autismo, a nonprofit in Los Cabos providing specialized attention to children with autism. For the last seven years, John had been recognized by the San Diego Business Journal on its San Diego 500 list of Most Influential Business Leaders in San Diego, and in 2020 the magazine named him to its San Diego 50 list of Leaders Making a Difference.
In his legal practice, John focused on complex class action, business and employment litigation with particular experience in trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, real estate, banking and lending, shareholder and contractual disputes to include cross-border issues. He tirelessly served his clients with class and distinction, achieving great success for clients of all sizes in civil trials, arbitrations and mediations. A proud graduate of the University of San Diego with a BS in Business Administration and a JD from the School of Law, John joined Procopio as a partner in 2008 after an already extensive legal career. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers since 2012 and Best Lawyers since 2014.
In speaking of his leadership philosophy at Procopio in a 2018 video, John said he always focused on “the three C’s,” defining those as “our clients, our culture, and also our community.” “Clients are always number one,” he said. “What’s important for culture are things like diversity, which we’re scoring well in, and then also work-life balance, and treating everyone at the firm with great respect and dignity.” Finally, John asked, “What are we doing for our community? That’s an obligation, I think of all businesses, and especially law firms, because we feed off our community, and we can do a lot of good for our communities.”
John is survived by his wife Sofia Alessio, a retired tax attorney; daughters Paulina Alessio, a college sophomore, and Andrea Alessio, a high school senior; his mother, Katherine Alessio; and siblings and their spouses Dominique Alessio Nielander and Stephen Nielander, Elise Alessio Norman and Roger Norman, and Ashley Alessio Muncey and Edward Muncey.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 12 at 10:30 a.m., at the Immaculata on the USD campus. In lieu of flowers, the family would ask that consideration be given to making a gift in John’s memory to Red Autismo or student scholarships at the University of San Diego.
About the University of San Diego School of Law
Each year, USD educates approximately 800 Juris Doctor and graduate law students from throughout the United States and around the world. The law school is best known for its offerings in the areas of business and corporate law, constitutional law, intellectual property, international and comparative law, public interest law and taxation.
USD School of Law is one of the 84 law schools elected to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society for law school graduates. The law school’s faculty is a strong group of outstanding scholars and teachers with national and international reputations and currently ranks 30th nationally among U.S. law faculties in scholarly impact and 41st nationally in past-year faculty downloads on the Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN). The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949.