Sam Johnson
Founder and Managing Attorney
Sam's motivating factor is utilizing his strong communication skills in conjunction with his years of experience advising business owners to provide a practical, efficient, and strategic plan for each matter he works on. Probably a little too fond of jumping into long contracts and due diligence, Sam is fulfilled knowing the businesses he helps keep going strengthen our economy and keep our communities safe.
Education
JD, South Texas College of Law, 2008
BA, University of Texas at Austin, 2005
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Bar Admissions
State Courts of Texas
State Courts of Oklahoma
U.S. District Courts - Northern and Eastern TX
Certified Ad Litem
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Professional Affiliations
State Bar of Texas
Collin County Bar Association
Dallas Bar Foundation - Fellow
McKinney Bar Association
Plano Bar Association
Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star 2014-2022
International Trademark Association
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Community Involvement
Plano Leadership Works Foundation - Board of Directors
City of Plano - Board of Adjustment
Anti-Defamation League - Board of Directors
Grace to Change - Advisory Council
Leadership Plano - Board Chair (2023-2024)
NAACP
Former Judicial Candidate
Former Congressional Candidate
Leadership Plano - Class 36
FBI Citizens Academy, 2016
Sam Johnson earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from South Texas College of Law in 2008. While at South Texas, Sam served as Vice President of the Student Bar Association and as an editor of both the Texas Journal of Business Law and Currents: International Trade Law Journal. During law school, Sam worked for a business law firm serving multiple individual and business clients in commercial litigation, probate and transactional matters. He also clerked for the 191st Judicial District Court of Dallas County.
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After graduating from law school, Sam worked for several years as an associate at Shamoun & Norman, LLP, a Dallas litigation firm where he worked on commercial disputes, premises liability matters, and complex commercial lending cases. Sam then worked as an associate at Chamblee, Ryan, Kershaw & Anderson, P.C., another Dallas firm where he started his transactional practice, helping businesses with corporate governance and employment law matters, as well as compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
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Sam devotes about 75% of his practice to serving as outside general counsel for businesses ranging from startups to international companies. Sam assists numerous companies in transactional matters in which Sam takes potential litigation risks into account in order to reduce the number of lawsuits arising out of certain business relationships. For anything ranging from contract review and negotation, to mergers and acquisitions, to negotiating with government entities, Sam brings a business-minded approach to his advocacy. The rest of the time Sam is helping clients with specific transactions and select litigation matters.
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When he is not working feverishly to represent his clients' best interests, Sam enjoys spending time with family, being outdoors, and staying involved in local politics.
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Sam has also been honored to contribute to the legal profession by giving the following publications and presentations:​
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Oh BOI! Donn't Let the Corporate Transparency Act Catch You (or Your Clients) by Surprise CLE (November 2024)
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Dazed and Confused? A Mildly Interesting Refresher on Entity Structure & Governance CLE delivered at the Collin County Bench Bar Conference (May 2022)
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Can't Shake the Shackles, Dallas Bar Association Headnotes (October 2017).
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Unshackling 5th Amendment Rights in Civil Cases CLE (November-December 2014).
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South Texas College of Law - Alumni Ethics CLE: Panel Member (September 9, 2014).
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2011 Amendments to Texas Medical Board: An Overview, written by Sam Johnson and presented by Peter Anderson to the Texas Medical Liability Trust Defense Bar (October 14, 2011).
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The Employment Law Triumvirate, written by Sam Johnson and presented by William Chamblee to the Central Texas Human Resources Management Association (September 15, 2011).
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The Sound of Inevitability: The Doctrine of Inevitable Disclosure of Trade Secrets Comes to Texas, Burton, Johnson and Burton, 43 Tex. J. Bus. L. 537 (Winter 2009).
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Who We Really Are: On the Need for the United States to Adopt the European Paradigm for Identity Fraud Protection, Johnson, 15 Currents: Int’l Trade L.J. 123 (Winter 2006).