Michael D. Johnson

Counsel

Atlanta, Georgia

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 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 presided 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. Specifically, he 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.

Affiliations

  • 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc.
  • Atlanta Bar Association, Former Litigation Board Member
  • Council of Superior Court Judges, Sentence Review Panel and Public Outreach Committees
  • Flight Buddies® Foundation
  • Gate City Bar Association, Former Member of Executive Board
  • Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution, Former Board Member
  • Kappa Boule, Sigma Pi Phi – Social Fraternity
  • Lamar Inn of Court
  • Lawyers Club of Atlanta
  • Leadership Atlanta
  • National Bar Association
  • R.E.A.L. Men Reading Program, Atlanta Public School System
  • State Bar of Georgia

Recognitions

  • Daily Report, “On the Rise,” 2004

Practice Areas

  • Business Torts & Commercial Contract Disputes
  • Government & Internal Investigations
  • Litigation & Dispute Resolution
  • Non-Profit
  • Restaurant
  • Youth Serving Organizations

Education

  • Syracuse University College of Law, JD, 1993
  • The University of Oxford, 1991
  • Morehouse College, BA, 1990

Bar Admissions

  • Georgia

Courts

  • Court of Appeals of Georgia
  • Supreme Court of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia