Leanne Johnson is a Partner and has been practicing law with the firm since 1987. She obtained her undergraduate degree in 1983 from Southern Arkansas University, B.S. Political Science, Magna Cum Laude. She graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1986, with high honors. While in law school, she was a member of the Law Review and Moot Court Board. From 1986-1987, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Nauman Scott, United States District Judge, E.D. of Louisiana. During her tenure with Orgain, Bell & Tucker, L.L.P., she has worked in a variety of trial and appellate matters. Her practice has had a strong emphasis in representing clients involved in or connected to the petroleum industry, disputes relating to rights of way or easements, pipeline regulatory and personal property disputes, eminent domain, reinsurance and excess insurance coverage disputes, commercial contracts and litigation, class actions, and personal injury defense work.

She is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law, and holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell. She is a member of the Texas Bar and the Arkansas Bar and licensed to practice law in both Texas and Arkansas. She is admitted to practice law before all Texas State Courts, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern District, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She is a Life Fellow in the Texas Bar Foundation, and the Michelle F. Mehaffy American Inn of Court, and actively participates in many local Bar Association programs and community activities. Leanne is also a certified mediator, giving her a better understanding of the forces that drive litigation between private parties.

Representative Cases and Experience:

Leanne successfully defended her client against an injunction and obtained a summary judgment from the trial court in relation to the location and construction of an intrastate pipeline, and the interpretation of certain mineral rights, deeds, and easements. See, Lloyd Glen Stephenson v. Vastar Resources, Inc., 89 S.W.3d 790 (Tex.App.-Corpus Christi 2002, pet. denied). She has handled trespass and injunction claims for pipeline companies in federal court, as well. See e.g., LeBlanc v. Colonial Pipeline Co., 49 F.Supp.2d 922 ( E.D. Tex. 1999).

Leanne has extensive experience in eminent domain and condemnation proceedings and has represented clients who possess rights of eminent domain either as gas utilities, as common carriers, or as governmental entities. And, she has represented individual landowners in the defense of certain pending or threatened eminent domain actions, and special assessments.

In various related trials and appeals, over the years she has asserted and defended claims on behalf of her business clients in relation to the placement of insurance and reinsurance, additional insured status, indemnity issues, and excess coverage disputes.

She argued the case of Mid-American Indem. Ins. Co. v. King, 22 S.W.3d 321, 38 (Tex. 1995), before the Texas Supreme Court, wherein the Court affirmed (5-4) the client's Judgment against a surplus lines carrier relating to former article 1.36 of the Texas Surplus Lines Statute. She has defended and prosecuted claims and tried cases on behalf of her business clients in the field of construction litigation, output and requirements contracts, agency agreements, subcontractor and contractor disputes, partnership and banking obligations, premises liability and tort claims. She has also represented business clients in the defense of employment and ERISA related claims. See e.g., Bennett v. Calabrian Corporation, 324 F.Supp.2d 815 (E.D. Tex. 2004), affirmed, 126 Fed. Appx. 171 (5th Cir. 2005). Finally, she has developed additional expertise relating to injunctions, remand and removal of federal claims, federal court jurisdiction, and choice of law issues.

Leanne practices primarily in the firm's office in Beaumont.

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