Associate John Keating is one of eight children, and since his whole family went through Viatorian education at St. Viator Parish School and Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, he got to know the Viatorian Community pretty well from a young age.
“My parents and my family became close with many Viatorians, and they were kind of just part of the family and around the house a lot,” John said, recalling going to a Viatorian parish and Viatorian schools in the 1970s and 1980s.
John (right in top photo, far right in bottom photo) enjoys active involvement at St. Viator Catholic Community in the region’s gatherings, such as this 2025 service event benefitting St. Thomas More’s outreach ministry.
He went on to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he studied marketing as an undergraduate, but John wasn’t sure on his professional path. One thought that came to his mind and his prayer was Viatorian religious life. “I had visited the Viatorians with Fr. Tom von Behren in the early 1990s because I was thinking about being a priest,” John said, recalling his time walking with Fr. Tom, who worked in vocation ministry then. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted to have a family, which was the overarching thing that kept me from pursuing that.”
After shifting gears, he took his mom’s advice to visit UNLV’s career center. “I went down there and did the test. It spits out the top careers you might be suited for. The top one was foreign service officer, and the second one was law,” John said. “Should I get an MBA? Should I study marketing more? I wasn’t sure, but I knew law intrigued me. So, I applied to Creighton University Law School, got in, and started in 1993.”
During law school, John’s internships exposed him to a wide range of practice areas, and clerking for a judge for a year after earning his law degree helped him see how both civil and criminal law proceedings functioned. John found that criminal law weighed quite heavily on him, so he leaned toward civil law. After looking and applying around, John landed an offer from an insurance defense firm. Ever a mindful discerner, John found his gifts for analysis, problem-solving, and negotiation served him well in this practice area.
In practicing insurance defense, John is keen to seek fair and just proceedings. Since many clients who retain him have no experience with lawsuits and courtrooms, he prides himself on being a diligent attorney with integrity who can bring peace of mind to his clients. “In defense, a plaintiff will present the case, and then you’re tasked with picking it apart – some cases are legitimate, but many of them are not,” John said. “My clients are often wonderful, kind people who are so grateful to have good help. They tell me that my help calmed their anxieties and made them feel comfortable. When you can dispose of a case to ease someone’s stress and anxiety, it makes a big difference.”
John (left in top photo, back row on right in bottom photo) recommitted as an associate for five more years at a Querbes Day Prayer Service at St. Viator in 2025.
In his personal life, John is married to fellow Viatorian Associate Kathy Keating, who teaches at Bishop Gorman, and they have two children who have also attended Viatorian schools. They’re St. Viator parishioners who are active in the community, including John’s long-running work with the St. Viator School Foundation. Also, John’s private law practice, Keating Law Group, has worked with Cristo Rey St. Viator’s Corporate Work Study Program to employ student workers. Naturally, the Viatorian invitation eventually came their way.
“We’re friends with the Hartzes, and they approached us to invite us to association. We asked them a lot of questions and got involved,” John said of Associates Rosy and Paul Hartz, who are fellow St. Viator parishioners.
John made his initial commitment in 2015, and Kathy committed as an associate in 2020. In 2025, the two of them recommitted for five more years.
For John, the lively, supportive, kind community is a big part of why he is a Viatorian. “I love going to the Viatorian events. The people are the best. Sometimes, my job involves dealing with a lot of greedy people and greedy actions. Our events are a nice break with people whose values and priorities align with ours and are in the right place,” John said. “There’s no pretentious chase for wealth and status. It’s a chance to be focused on things that really matter. Being with Viatorians helps me keep my faith in humanity.”