Laurence M. Johnson

 
 

Practice Focus and Experience


Larry Johnson practices in the Business Law and Litigation areas. For over forty years he has concentrated his practice in the trial and appeal of complex litigation for individuals and all sizes of businesses, including many Fortune Five Hundred companies. His litigation practice focuses on the areas of securities, antitrust, mergers and acquisitions, high technology including computer software licensing and implementation disputes, real estate development and construction, financing, corporate governance, partnership disputes, insurance coverage, executive employment relations, terminations, and estate disputes. Larry has also handled substantial cases involving automotive and other products liability and intellectual property; business venture and professional corporation disputes; environmental claims defense; attorney and accountant errors and omissions, professional liability and discipline; and utility rates.

Representative Matters


  • Presently representing minority stockholder in large regional concrete supplier in litigation regarding self-dealing transactions engaged in by management/majority stockholders.
  • Represented preferred stock investor/former CEO of technology company in legal malpractice claim against company's former corporate counsel arising from invalid proposed stock offerings.
  • Represented stockholders as lead counsel in two securities actions under the Investment Company Act against the investment advisors to families of leveraged, tax-exempt municipal bond funds challenging the legality of advisory compensation agreements which made the amount of the advisors' compensation dependent upon their continued maintenance of the funds' leverage.
  • Represented a national developer of human resources management software systems in defense of various products/contract claims arising under software licensing and implementation agreements.

Professional


  • Distinctions: Peer review "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest bestowed rating; Massachusetts Super Lawyer, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009.
  • Admitted: Massachusetts; United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Third, Sixth, and Seventh Circuits; United States District Courts for the District of Massachusetts and the Eastern District of Wisconsin; United States Court of Federal Claims; United States Supreme Court.
  • Elected Fellow: American College of Trial Lawyers. Life Fellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes Fellow and Trustee: Massachusetts Bar Foundation (President, 2008-2009; Vice President, 2007-2008; Treasurer, 2006-2007); Member; Massachusetts IOLTA Committee, 2006-present; Member: Supreme Judicial Court Law Clerks' Society, 2004- (Board of Governors, 2008-present.
  • Member: Boston Bar Association; Massachusetts Bar Association (House of Delegates, 2008 - present) (Co-Chairman, Section Council, Individual Rights and Responsibilities Section, 2000-present); American Bar Association; Board of Directors, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of the Boston Bar Association,1977-present. Elected Member: American Law Institute (Life Member).
  • Visiting Faculty: Harvard Trial Advocacy Workshop, Harvard Law School, 1977-present.

Community Involvement


  • Has taught trial and appellate advocacy courses in numerous law school and trial advocacy programs over the past twenty-five years.
  • Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law for the past thirty-five years.

Publications and Speaking Engagements


News