chris-johnson1

Chris Johnson

Partner

For over decade, Christopher “Chris” L. Johnson has delivered results for and protected the interests of a vast array of clients in almost every area of law. Because of that success, businesses, governments and individuals rely on Chris as their trusted advocate in nearly every forum.

Chris is an aggressive trial lawyer, who maintains a diverse civil and commercial litigation practice representing plaintiffs and defendants in Texas and around the country in courts and arbitration proceedings. Chris has achieved favorable results in cases involving breach of contract issues, business torts, trade secrets and restrictive covenants, franchise disputes, securities, receiverships, commercial and residential real estate, municipal law, banking and lending, deceptive trade practices, construction, and probate matters. Chris has obtained favorable results for clients across Texas and at least eight other states.

In addition to his trial practice, Chris counsels privately held companies and their owners at every stage of the business life cycle. Chris assists startups and new ventures in nearly every industry to successfully set themselves up to do business and continues through the company’s ongoing operation where he acts as general counsel in a variety of areas. In that capacity, Chris negotiates commercial contracts, provides counsel in employee and contractor engagement (including legal compliance), and assists with real estate matters. Chris represents businesses across a variety of industries including energy and renewable energy, retail, industrial services and real estate. Chris also has extensive experience assisting clients with business transactions, including acquisition and divestitures, capital raises and offerings, financing, and revising business structures. Business clients will also turn to Chris when they want to avoid litigation but need a resolution to their business disputes. Chris assists clients in business divorces and has successfully dissolved a number of businesses while protecting assets and avoiding the economic losses associated with litigation. Chris has handled business divorces involving tens of millions in assets.

Real estate clients rely on Chris for assistance in real estate matters involving commercial and industrial leases, acquisitions and divestitures, title clearing actions, boundary line disputes, tax liens, and eminent domain proceedings. Chris also regularly handles probate litigation issues including acting as counsel to trustees, executors, and creditors.

Chris attended Texas A&M University before pursuing his law degree at the University of Houston Law Center. While in law school, he served as an editor on the Houston Business & Tax Law Journal and as Executive Chair of the Board of Advocates. Chris also excelled as a member of the mock trial and moot court teams and won a national mock trial title. Upon graduation, Chris was named to the Order of Barristers, an honor given to the top courtroom advocates in each graduating class.

Chris is a proud member of and actively involved in his community. He serves on the Board of Visitors for Texas A&M University at Galveston, the Board of Directors for the McDaniel Charitable Foundation in Galveston County and the Board of Directors for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Education
  • University of Houston Law Center, Juris Doctorate, 2009
  • Texas A&M University, B.A., 2006
  • State Bar of Texas
  • Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce
  • League City Chamber of Commerce
  • Galveston County Bar Association
  • State of Texas
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

 

  • Skipton et al v. RevHoney. Inc. et al. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. Obtained jury verdict for investors in the amount of $1.05 million, consisting of $600,000.00 in actual damages and an additional $450,000.00 in punitive damages based on claims of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. Jury found against Defendants’ and their counterclaims and third-party claims for fraud, fraud in the inducement, breach of contract, promissory estoppel, and tortious interference with a business expectancy, which sought more than $1.8 million.
  • Represented developers in the acquisition and financing of $25 Million hospitality development project on the Bolivar Peninsula in Galveston County, Texas, including assisting in acquisition of the subject property, negotiation of entity structures, capital raise and financing, as well as securing and negotiating a franchising agreement with a national brand.
  • Josh Sprague v. Ed’s Precision Management, LLC, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. Attorney-in-charge for local Houston business defending novel employment issues involving claims of interference, discrimination, and retaliation brought under federal leave statutes enacted in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Obtained partial summary judgment as to the interference claim and held Plaintiff to a verdict of $7,600.00 after rejecting a pretrial demand of nearly eight times that figure.
  • Represented real estate fund in the purchase of a $20 million multifamily investment property, including negotiations of the purchase agreement and financing for the transaction. As part of the transaction, secured a release of easement from the local municipality and negotiated a new easement agreement for utilities based on the existing structures.
  • DES Development, LLC v. RevHoney, Inc., U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Represented Plaintiff DES Development, LLC, a Houston-based company, involved in a dispute based on breaches of a lease agreement for commercial bottling and distribution equipment valued at approximately half a million dollars. Obtained an outright dismissal of all Defendants’ counterclaims and third-party claims valued at more than $100 million. Also obtained summary judgment in favor of client with the Court determining all legal and factual matters in client’s favor and awarding damages for client in the amounts of (1) $296,165.99 in lost rents, (2) $179,595.50 in attorneys’ fees, (3) $50,753.93 in pre-judgment interest, (4) $1,283.00 in taxable litigation costs, and (4) post-judgment interest at 6%. The District Court’s Final Judgment totaled $530,401.22.
  • Represented a multifamily property investment company in the purchase of a $15 million multifamily property in Waco, Texas, including negotiations of the purchase agreement and financing for the transaction.
  • Green Tower Development, LLC v. BMC West Corporation, 295th Civil District Court of Harris County, Texas. Represented Plaintiff commercial and residential property developer involved in a contractual dispute with materials provider. Obtained partial summary judgment wherein the Court found Defendant’s contractual damage limitation provision unenforceable as a matter of law.
  • Obtained a favorable jury verdict on behalf a corporation to enforce their Non-Disclosure, Non-Compete, and Non-Solicitation Agreement after a key employee left the corporation to work for a direct competitor. The jury returned a verdict in favor of corporation, denying all of Defendant’s claims, and awarding client attorneys’ fees in the amount of $310,107.00.
  • Successfully tried to a jury verdict a multi-million-dollar dispute between the operator of the iconic Flagship Hotel against Landry’s, Inc.
  • Successfully represented a biodiesel distributor in a joint venture dispute. Retained just 3 weeks before trial, and after a 3-day bench trial in Harris County District Court, obtained judgment for client in excess of $500,000 plus more than $42,000 in attorneys’ fees.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of municipality in Galveston County District court against resident seeking disannexation of recently annexed area.
  • Represented municipality before the Texas Railroad Commission in the first ever public right-of-way pipeline assessment appeal. Obtained order allowing municipality to collect more than $200,000 in past due pipeline assessments.
  • Obtained favorable settlement for former investor in Ponzi scheme in action brought by SEC appointed Receiver in federal court in Houston involving claims of breach of contract and claw-back.
  • Successfully obtained a dismissal of a FINRA arbitration for the institution’s failure to comply with arbitrator’s orders.
  • Obtained summary judgment in Oklahoma on behalf of hotel seller for non-payment of purchase price, ultimately resulting in a six-figure settlement for the client.

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