Brendan Johns Email & Phone Number

Fort Myers, Fl, Us

Denver, Colorado, United States

Denver, Colorado, United States

• Independently handled the defense of a variety of lawsuits filed against insurance carriers, which included but was not limited to, working directly with insurance carriers and their insureds, drafting and filing all pleadings necessary to advance litigation, drafting and serving written discovery, preparing confidential mediation statements, and negotiating stipulated settlement agreements• Independently handled a number of Plaintiff claims, which included drafting and filing the complaint, continuously providing the client with timely litigation-related status updates, and negotiating stipulated settlement agreements with opposing counsel• Regularly took and defended depositions and Examinations Under Oath• Conducted legal research and analysis, and engaged in an aggressive motions practice, which included not was not limited to, motions to compel, dispositive motions, and post-trial motions• Reviewed and analyzed insurance claims to determine whether such claims are covered under the relevant policy, and then independently drafted insurance coverage opinions advising the relevant insurance carrier of the same• Regularly provided clients and supervising attorneys with legal advice and analysis, often in the form of comprehensive and detailed status letters• Regularly participated in judicial proceedings, both in person and via zoom• Independently identified experts needed to build a defense, and thereafter worked with such experts to negotiate their budget and to provide constructive critiques of their expert reports to ensure that such reports complied with Rule 26, supported our theory of defense, and rebutted the opinions of opposing experts

Boulder, Colorado, United States

• Independently drafted pleadings, written discovery; and constantly engaged in an aggressive motions practice, which included but was not limited to the drafting of dispositive motions, motions to compel and for sanctions, motions for protective orders, motions for reconsideration, motions in limine, and post-trial motions for fees and costs• Handled matters in multiple different states, including in both state and federal court, in my capacity as an Associate• Constantly analyzed local rules, statutes, judicial practice standards, and case law from various jurisdictions to identify information needed to advance litigation and to build our defense, and/or to answer a client or Partner's questions• Prepared for and took a five-day insurance defense admitted liability jury trial to verdict. As part of that damages trial, I handled our Opening Statement, the cross examination of Plaintiff, a lay witness, a Police Officer, and several non-retained medical provider expert witnesses, and the direct examination of our retained Neurologist• Prepared for and independently took numerous depositions; and participated in various hearings• Performed fact investigation by acquiring recorded and/or non-recorded statements from potential trial witnesses• Reviewed voluminous documents and records to identify potential trial witnesses, favorable defense evidence, such as helpful differential diagnoses and impeachment evidence, and to assist in the production of Rule 26 disclosures• Regularly conferred with Opposing Counsel to resolve discovery disputes and to work towards the final resolution of assigned matters, typically via stipulated settlement agreements; and confer with and advise clients on a host of issues

Boulder, Colorado

• Independently manage a large and diverse District Court (i.e., felony only) caseload• Regularly participate in, and argue, Hearings on Bond and Advisements, Preliminary Hearings, Motions Hearings, Sentencing Hearings, and Restitution Hearings• Regularly prepare and take County Court and District Court cases to Court and Jury Trials • Review cases at their inception and file criminal charges as appropriate; and review arrest and search warrants• Manage a team, comprised of a Criminal Investigator and a Victim/Witness Advocate, that regularly meets with victims, witnesses, and other relevant parties to further criminal investigations • Consult with Law Enforcement; and engage in victim outreach efforts, which includes making victim contact and participating in victim meetings to hear their concerns, convey potential plea offers, and to prepare them for trial• Manage discovery, ensuring that materials are disclosed to the appropriate party in a timely manner• Constantly engage in plea negotiations with Defense Counsel, and Pro Se Defendants• Conduct legal research and draft responses to constitutional motions• Mentor less experienced Attorneys and Law Clerks with regard to their day-to-day duties and jury trial preparation

Alamosa, Colorado

• Independently managed large caseloads, including both District Court and County Court dockets • Regularly participated in, and argued, Hearings on Bond and Advisements, Preliminary Hearings, Motions Hearings, Sentencing Hearings, and Probation Revocation Hearings in six different Colorado Counties• Regularly prepared and tried Court and Jury Trials • Consulted with Law Enforcement; and engaged in victim outreach efforts to: further criminal investigations; hear their concerns and answer any questions that they may have; convey potential plea offers; and to prepare them for trial• Constantly engaged in plea negotiations with Defense Counsel, and Pro Se Defendants• Filed charges, and reviewed warrants on behalf of the 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office

White Plains, New York

• Conducted legal research, drafted, and ultimately submitted a letter on behalf of the client, Riverkeeper, Inc., formally requesting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allow for a public comment period extension• Conducted legal research, drafted, and submitted a public comment on behalf of a client, in response to a Draft Environmental Impact Statement• Managed a case file with regard to one of Riverkeeper’s NY CPLR Article 78 Proceedings against the NYSDEC

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Conducted legal research, and provided litigation support with regard to a high-profile lawsuit, which revolved around the Bureau of Land Management’s then new hydraulic fracturing rule• Independently reviewed hundreds of documents on Relativity in order to help create an administrative record• Conducted legal research, and subsequently wrote several legal memoranda that focused on discrete issues, such as summarizing a long-standing title dispute between multiple parties over oil-producing lands located in Louisiana; determining whether new oil and gas leases can be issued for mineral rights located beneath National Wildlife Refuges; and whether the EPA’s then new Ozone NAAQS rule applied to a specific DOI project located in Wyoming• Conducted legal research to help determine whether a state can redraw its SLA boundary via a bilateral agreement• Analyzed legislative history, and wrote a legal memorandum focusing on the Stock Raising Homestead Act of 1916, specifically Section 9’s “bond or undertaking” language

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance; Office of Civil Enforcement, Special Litigation and Projects Division• Conducted legal research, and wrote an executive summary on all 50 states’ chemical disclosure regulations with regard to their hydraulic fracturing operations• Drafted a confidential consent decree that was sent to the U.S. Department of Justice to be used in an enforcement case between the United States and the specific regulated entity• Conducted legal research, compiled a master-list, and ultimately created an Excel worksheet on consent decrees that include environmental audit provisions. Specifically, the research focused on whether a consent decree required a violator to conduct environmental audits, and further whether it included a future covenant not to sue

Washington, D.C.

Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance; Office of Compliance, Planning & Measures Operations Division• Conducted legal research, and subsequently wrote a legal memorandum on the EPA’s current civil penalty policy focused on the Economic Benefit of Noncompliance component of the EPA’s penalty calculation process• Observed oral arguments at the EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board revolving around an administrative appeal of TSCA Section 8(e)• Regularly attended and participated in the EPA’s bi-weekly Clean Water Act mini-series seminars, focusing on the NPDES Program, Effluent Guidelines, Biosolids, Sanitary Sewer Overflows, Combined Sewer Overflows, Municipal Separate Sever Systems, Industrial and Construction Stormwater, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, Vessels, and the NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule

• Assisted ECOS Executive Director and General Counsel by acting as lead researcher for the upcoming “The Lawyer’s Role in Representing Communities” ABA book chapter; conducted research on legal ethics and model rules for community lawyers; and prepared a presentation used for an ABA national webinar titled “Emerging Issue Regarding Nutrient Regulation Under the Clean Water Act” • Worked directly with all 50 states’ environmental Commissioners and/or Directors to update ECOS’s “Delegation by Environmental Act” portion of its website as well as created the “ECOS 2014 State Program Innovations Awards – Nominations” yearly document• Wrote and published articles in ECOSWIRE weekly newsletter• Participated in the organizing committee for the ECOS Step conference, which focused on the 111(d) proposal, and attended the conference as part of the on-site team that managed the event

Latin Legum Magister (Llm) In Environmental Law, Climate Change And Energy Track

Activities and Societies: Legal Intern: Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic, Riverkeeper• Magna Cum Laude

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

• Moot Court Association Chancellor • Environmental Law Society President • Law School Student Scholar, 2015-16; and CUA Research Day.

Bachelor Of Arts, Political Science

Education record