Professional Experience
Mr. Johnson has trial and/or arbitration experience in cases involving a variety of issues including CEQA, CERCLA, construction claims, construction defect, contaminated property, eminent domain, fraud, indemnity, negligence, products liability, Proposition 65, securities fraud, and toxic torts. Mr. Johnson's practice focuses on construction, environmental and real estate issues. His environmental experience includes litigation concerning CERCLA, CEQA, RCRA, California Coastal Act, Proposition 65; toxic torts; petroleum and hazardous substance contamination; and misrepresentation of environmental conditions in real property transactions. Mr. Johnson also routinely counsels clients regarding compliance with environmental statutes and regulations, hazardous waste clean-up projects, regulatory agency requirements, insurance coverage for environmental claims, and environmental issues in real property and corporate transactions.
His construction law experience includes litigation involving construction defects, professional liability of engineers, latent defects in real property, extra work claims, changed condition claims, delay claims, defective work claims, the California False Claims Act, bid protests, mechanic's lien and stop notice claims, surety bond claims and landowner association claims. His construction law experience also includes negotiating and drafting construction contracts, and counseling concerning public contract bidding laws, stop notice and mechanic's lien laws, contract obligations and remedies, and performance and payment bonds. His real estate experience includes various land use issues, landlord/tenant disputes, title issues, condemnation actions and unlawful detainer actions.
Representative Matters
· Representing public water supply agencies in a CERCLA contribution action regarding groundwater contamination.
· Representing construction material supply company in several products liability lawsuits alleging personal injuries due to exposures to silica.
· Representing property developer in lawsuit challenging approval of a residential development based on alleged violations of CEQA.
· Representing major energy company in eminent domain lawsuit.
· Defended major energy company in lawsuit filed by the State of New Mexico seeking Natural Resource Damages with respect to a CERCLA Superfund Site.
· Represented property owner in dispute against design engineer regarding design errors in a power plant construction project.
· Representing major energy company in several lawsuits regarding alleged violations of Proposition 65 and personal injuries/wrongful death resulting from alleged toxic emissions.
· Represented major engineering and construction company in lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles concerning extra work, time extension and loss of productivity claims regarding construction of a railroad bridge in the Port of Los Angeles.
· Represented property owner in dispute regarding extra work and delay claims of contractor concerning two power plant construction projects.
· Representing several major energy companies in lawsuits regarding responsibility for contamination of real property.
· Represented County of Los Angeles in lawsuit regarding liability under CERCLA for an abandoned landfill.
· Represented major university in litigation concerning extra work claims, loss of productivity claims and delay claims of the architect and contractor on hospital construction project.
· Defended chemical company in lawsuit by approximately 200 plaintiffs alleging personal injury and property damage resulting from alleged releases of contaminants.
· Represented major design engineering firm in several lawsuits regarding alleged defects in the design of a highway.
Representative Clients
· ARCO Pipeline Company
· Atlantic Richfield Company
· BP
· Casden Properties
· County of Los Angeles
· GSIC Realty Corporation
· Jones Chemicals Inc.
· Kajima Engineering and Construction, Inc.
· Kinder Morgan Energy Partners
· Kitchell Constructors, Inc.
· Marnell Corrao Associates
· Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
· Parsons Corporation
· Penske Corporation
· Republic of Armenia
· The Irvine Company
· University of Southern California