Bryan Johnson

Partner

Chicago

T: 312.668.1089

F: 312.638.5672

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Bryan Johnson is a partner in M&R’s Chicago office. He maintains a practice that focuses on employment advice and counseling and related litigation and transactional matters, as well as complex commercial, real estate and construction disputes. Bryan does so for businesses in the advertising, cannabis, hospitality, marketing, real estate, construction and technology industries. He also leads the firm's standalone COVID-19 Practice Group made up of an inter-disciplinary team of M&R attorneys—all subject matter pros—singularly focused on piloting clients through the laundry list of challenges stemming from the novel coronavirus and what is sure to be its troubling aftermath. For his part, Bryan is an authority who has written and spoken extensively on the Paycheck Protection Program.

Having successfully resolved matters involving breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claims, restrictive covenants, wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment, trade secrets, partnership disputes, business torts, defamation, fraud and a variety of real estate- and construction-related litigation, Bryan’s caseload brings him to state and federal courtrooms nationwide. Beyond his work as a litigator, Bryan counsels corporate clients regarding a broad range of transactional matters, including business formation, entity structure, contract negotiation and strategic organizational and operational considerations, including risk assessment and risk minimization advice.

Bryan is an active member of the Chicago Bar Association. He sits on the CBA's Judicial Evaluation Committee, and formerly served as Chair of its Commercial Litigation Committee. In addition, Bryan maintains a robust pro bono practice, including work on behalf of elderly and disabled tenants seeking reasonable accommodations under the Fair Housing Act. Likewise, he volunteers his services to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Awards & Recognition

In 2022, Bryan was designated as a Super Lawyer by Illinois Super Lawyers. Every year prior to that (since 2015), he was recognized by the publication as a Rising Star in Business Litigation (representing the top 2.5% of Illinois attorneys under the age of 40). He has been named an Illinois "Emerging Lawyer" by The Leading Lawyers Network for five years running as well.

Representative Matters

COVID-19: Advised clients on issues related to the Paycheck Protection Program, Families First Coronavirus Response Act and American Rescue Plan.

COVID-19: Created return-to-work and vaccination policies on behalf of employers across industries.

COVID-19: Advised clients regarding compliance with pandemic-related local, state and federal regulations.

Employment Advice & Counseling: Drafted and negotiated employment, independent contractor and severance agreements for several management-side clients.

Employment Advice & Counseling: Created background check policies for a series of employers.

Employment Litigation: Successfully resolved fraudulent unemployment claims before the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).

Trademark & Copyright: Represented a leading photo entertainment website against copyright infringement claims.

Banking & Finance: Represented mortgage servicing agents in borrower suits alleging violations of mortgage agreements and federal statutes, including FDCPA, RESPA, EFTA

Advertising Litigation: Represented a men’s lifestyle and photoblog website in an international lawsuit alleging breach of online advertising sales and licensing contract.

Complex Litigation: Represented title insurer and escrowee against breach of contract and breach of fiduciary claims in litigation concerning development of $50M senior living facility.

Purchase & Sales: Represented a restaurateur in the purchase and sale of ten businesses since 2013.

Advertising & Digital Media: Represented a healthcare technology company in the negotiation of hundreds of advertising contracts and buyout agreements with international pharmaceutical manufacturers and their media agencies.

Healthcare/Intellectual Property: Represented a healthcare technology company in the negotiation of dozens of master services agreements with international pharmaceutical manufacturers with specific emphasis on retention and assignment of intellectual property rights.

Class Action: Obtained dismissal of a putative class action lawsuit filed against a well-known insurance carrier that alleged failure to pay interest on settlement of claims. Successfully argued that the Illinois Interest Act did not apply to settlement agreements. The dismissal was affirmed by the First District Appellate Court of Illinois in matter of first impression.

Construction Litigation: Obtained summary judgment on behalf of an architect in a multi-million-dollar suit alleging breach of contract and violations of express and implied warranties related to significant construction defects and maintenance defects in a 35-floor condominium building.

Healthcare Litigation: Aggressively defended a healthcare consulting firm against a hospital’s $10M breach of contract and breach of fiduciary counterclaims arising from development of $250M senior living facility, resulting in extremely favorable settlement.

Insurance Broker Litigation: Advocated for an insurance broker plaintiff in a federal lawsuit alleging breach of fiduciary duty, professional negligence, and fraud against sub-brokers arising out of a failure to procure insurance coverage. Aggressively negotiated a seven-figure settlement against two sub-brokers and secured a seven-figure restitution in favor of the client in vigorously contested restitution proceedings.