Profile

Michael Johnson is a skilled and veteran litigator, having tried more than 75 trials, with extensive experience serving as a representative for civil defendants, plaintiffs and criminal defendants in federal and state white-collar investigations. Mr. Johnson is a member of Taylor English’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department, having joined the firm after serving nearly seven years as a Superior Court judge in Fulton County, as well as seven years as a prosecutor in DeKalb and Fulton counties. He also served as an assistant attorney general and specially appointed federal prosecutor for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

During his time on the bench, Mr. Johnson presided over thousands of civil and felony criminal cases and gained tremendous experience and insight in handling class-action cases, real estate and restrictive covenant matters, health care fraud and complex business and tax litigation cases. Several noteworthy cases handled by Mr. Johnson both as a judge and practicing attorney are: Thurbert Baker v. Metropolitan Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Inc., et. al., relating to revealing the bid proposals for the 2009 NASCAR Hall of Fame and the 2009 Super Bowl; The State of Georgia v. Arthur Tesler, which involved the murder of Kathryn Johnston; and Southern Center for Human Rights v. The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC), which concerned an action seeking to enjoin the execution of a defendant convicted of a capital offense. Mr. Johnson has also successfully argued before the Supreme Court of Georgia in the matter of Fantasia v. The State, 268 Ga. 512 (1997), which revolved around the issue of self-incrimination.

Additionally, Mr. Johnson has represented individuals, small and medium-sized businesses and Fortune 500 corporations during his time in the private sector. Specifically, Mr. Johnson has focused on representing commercial clients in multiple areas, including airport vending compliance and contracts, business disputes in diverse areas and licensing issues. Moreover, Mr. Johnson has a wide-ranging government relations practice, having represented clients before federal, state and local agencies, as well as clients involved in state and federal investigations.

Along with his professional accomplishments, Mr. Johnson has served in numerous leadership roles, such as chair of the City of Atlanta Board of Ethics and as a board member for the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution. He currently serves as vice president of Flight Buddies Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to introducing kids to the field of aviation. Mr. Johnson also has been recognized by the Daily Report, in 2004, as an “On the Rise” lawyer and is a member of numerous other organizations.

Memberships

State Bar of Georgia

Atlanta Bar Association, Former Litigation Board Member

National Bar Association

Lamar Inn of Court

Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution, Former Board Member

Lawyers Club of Atlanta

Gate City Bar Association, Former Member of Executive Board

Council of Superior Court Judges, Sentence Review Panel and Public Outreach Committees

Community Involvement

Leadership Atlanta

R.E.A.L. Men Reading Program, Atlanta Public School System

100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc.

Kappa Boule, Sigma Pi Phi – Social Fraternity

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