Related Information
Education
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Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington
J.D., magna cum laude, 1994
Order of the Coif; AmJur Award (Legal Profession; Federal Jurisdiction; Securities Regulation II); Indiana Law Journal, Executive Articles Editor (1993-94), Associate (1992-93)
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Northwestern University
B.A. 1989
Slavic Languages and Literatures
Admissions
Illinois
Kentucky
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Service Areas
- Financial Institutions Litigation and Subprime Litigation
- Toxic Tort & Environmental Defense
- Business Litigation
- Class Action, Mass Action & Multi-District Litigation
- Complex / Large Transaction Litigation / E-Discovery Management
- Commercial Disputes - Contracts and Business Torts
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Product Liability
- Securities Litigation
- Civil Litigation
- Professional Liability (Non-Medical Professionals)
- Fiduciary Duty, Trade Secret and Unfair Competition Litigation
- Multi-State, Multi-District and Serial Litigation
- Regulatory Compliance in the Zone of Market Meltdown
- Energy & Electrical Power Law
Industry Experience
- Energy
- Banking / Financial Services
- Financing
- Insurance Carriers / Brokers / Agents
- Industrial / Manufacturing
- Transportation / Trucking
- Restaurants / Food Services
Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Kentucky Bar Association
- Louisville Bar Association
Clark Johnson is a member of the firm's Business Litigation Service Group, where his practice focuses on class action litigation. He also has litigated and tried a wide range of disputes involving products liability, intellectual property and professional liability in twenty-one states.
Examples of Mr. Johnson's class action work include defending major life insurance companies in vanishing premium cases, modal premium cases, DAC tax cases, effective-date cases and interest crediting cases. In addition, Mr. Johnson currently is defending FLSA collective actions involving several different industries. Mr. Johnson also has defended class actions against mortgage companies involving payoff statement fees and predatory lending, and TILA claims against credit card issuers. Finally, he has defended a number of securities fraud class actions. In connection with that work, he has significant experience representing issuers, officers and others in SEC investigations and enforcement actions, and in internal corporate investigations.
Recent Assignments
- Defeated certification of class and collective claims in FLSA suit against mortgage company. See 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61877 (W.D. Ky.)
- Successfully argued motion to dismiss class action alleging predatory lending practices by mortgage company
- Successfully argued against class certification in case concerning interest crediting practices for fixed deferred annuities. See 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14000 (D. Minn.)
- Obtained summary judgment for railroad tank car company, defeating claims arising from major train derailment and hazmat release
- Won dismissal of a series of nationwide class actions against major life insurance companies challenging calculations of premium due dates
- Represented officers of mid-cap medical devices company in series of shareholder suits, SEC formal investigations and Department of Justice interviews
- Obtained a directed verdict for the defendant in a legal malpractice lawsuit against a major national law firm
Recent Speaking Engagements and Publications
- "Preparing for and Guarding Against the Zero Sum Conflict in Litigation," 2010 Annual Review of Ethics & Professionalism, American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, April 2010
- "Expert Reports," a chapter in Expert Witnesses, American Bar Association, Section of Litigation (to be published)
Before Stites & Harbison
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Johnson was an associate (1996-2001) and then an equity partner (2002-2004) at Jenner & Block LLP in Chicago. Mr. Johnson began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable S. Hugh Dillin, United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division.