Firm Overview

Johnson & Ward is a small, specialized civil litigation boutique which has been a fixture in the Atlanta legal community for over 50 years, being the successor to Phillips & Johnson, founded in 1949. The firm’s practice over the ensuing five decades has focused primarily on civil litigation and general corporate services. Johnson & Ward is listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, and has been AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell for decades. Most of the firm’s clients are referred by other lawyers or former clients.

Firm members have long been active in the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and the Atlanta Bar Association, have served in various official capacities in these organizations, and have lectured for numerous Bar related organizations, seminars and courses. For example, firm members assisted in the founding of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and have served as Presidents and Vice Presidents thereafter. Firm members have served as President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chair of the Litigation Section and in other capacities with the Atlanta Bar Association. Firm member William D. deGolian recently served as the 2002-2003 President of the Atlanta Bar Association.

We have been regular lecturers in trial advocacy at the Georgia State University School of Law and Emory Trial Advocacy Program, and for more than 10 years presented the lecture on civil trial advocacy at the semiannual “Bridge the Gap” seminars, mandated for new admittees to the State Bar of Georgia. Our partners have lectured regularly at seminars conducted by the American Bar Association, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, the Institutes of Continuing Judicial Education and Continuing Legal Education in Georgia, the Federal Bar Association, and the National Law Institute. Firm members have been instrumental in Bar publications as well, having served on the Editorial Boards of the “Georgia Bar Journal” and “The Atlanta Lawyer,” and having authored numerous articles on various legal topics for publication. Several former firm members are currently serving as trial and appellate judges in state and federal courts, and have served as the Editor of Agnor’s Georgia Evidence, the leading treatise on evidence under Georgia law.

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    Firm members have long served as members of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Indigent and Pro-Bono Panel of attorneys, who provide free legal advice and assistance to members of the community. Firm members have also represented victims of the September 11 tragedy through the Trial Lawyers Care program of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. In fact, firm member Clark H. McGehee was selected as one of only fifteen attorneys nationwide to provide free legal representation to catastrophically injured burn victims of the September 11th tragedy through the Trial Lawyers Care program.

    The firm’s litigation practice concentrates on catastrophic wrongful death and personal injury claims, as well as disputes arising out of commercial, contract and business transactions. The firm’s litigation practice also focuses on federal and state employment law issues such as discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims, as well as the enforcement or defense of severance agreements, restrictive covenants, such as non-compete, non-solicitation and non-disclosure, and trade secrets. The non-litigation aspects of the firm’s practice concern general business and corporate work, including significant real estate, bankruptcy, probate, immigration, copyright, trademark and contract matters.

    While the emphasis at Johnson & Ward is on the successful resolution of our clients’ problems, including the use of new developments in alternative dispute resolution, the most up-to-date technology, and current legal scholarship, there is also an old fashioned emphasis on collegiality and close client contact, which has manifested itself over the years in a satisfying law practice, and congenial, long-term relationships with our clients.