Marc Johnston is the owner and Managing Attorney of the Johnston Law Firm, LLC. He is admitted to practice in the State of Oregon, and specializes in handling personal injury, business, insurance and civil litigation cases. Mr. Johnston’s practice focuses on litigation and dispute resolution. He has a winning trial and arbitration record.
Mr. Johnston’s career has been dedicated to representing the injured and individuals who have been treated unfairly by an insurance company. His focus on trial law creates the backbone of the Johnston Law Firm — a firm that is ready to go the distance in seeking justice for its clients.
Mr. Johnston has been voted one of Oregon’s Top 50 Super Lawyers. The Super Lawyer selection process includes independent research and seeks to award outstanding lawyers who have attained a high-degree of professional achievement and peer recognition. Learn more about Marc Johnston by visiting his Super Lawyers profile. Marc also has the highest possible rating for Portland personal injury attorneys per Avvo. Lawyer Marc Johnston | Top Attorney Personal Injury. These distinctions and others make Marc Johnston the clear choice for personal injury representation in Oregon.
Before the creation of the Johnston Law Firm, Marc Johnston gained experience in several Portland, Oregon, law firms. He handled a large docket of personal injury, product liability and litigation-based cases. He also represented insurance, business and construction clients against multimillion-dollar lawsuits, including representing a Fortune 1000 company.
Mr. Johnston graduated cum laude from the Gonzaga University School of Law, where he participated in the following activities and received the following honors:
- Executive Editor – Gonzaga Journal of International Law.
- National Legal Writing Competition Winner (unanimous selection) – Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section of ABA.
- National Moot Court Team Member 2003-05 (Trained by current WA Supreme Court Justice).
- Presented Moot Court Oral Arguments in front of Washington Supreme Court (twice), Montana and Washington Federal District Courts, and Washington State Court of Appeals (twice).
- National Student Director of the ABA’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC).
- Gonzaga Moot Court Honor Council 2003-05.
Mr. Johnston’s other professional and community involvement includes:
- Head Coach, Reed College Mock Trial Program (Volunteer) 2006-2009
- Chair, Member Services Committee, Oregon New Lawyers Division 2006-2009
- Board Member, Oregon New Lawyers Division 2009-present
- Member, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section and Litigation Section of ABA 2003-present
- Member, Oregon Trial Lawyers Association 2009-present
- Sports Director of Portland Chapter, Gonzaga Alumni Committee 2006-present
- Oregon LRAP Representative (Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program) 2010-present
- Member, Oregon State Bar Mentoring Taskforce
Areas of Practice
- Motor Vehicle Accidents — Plaintiff
- Auto Accidents
- Personal Injury
- Insurance Law
- Bad Faith Insurance
- Rear End Collision
- Medical Malpractice
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Professional Malpractice Law
Education
- Gonzaga University School of Law, Spokane, Washington
- J.D. – 2005
- Eastern Washington University
- B.A. – 2000
- Major: Business Management/Marketing
- Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington
Published Works
- Case Note, Bailey v. Lewis Farms: Cause of Action Against Prior Owner of Automobile for Failure to Maintain Marc Johnston (October 2007)., Marc Johnston, October , 2007
- The Supreme Court’s New Take on Punitive Damages in State Farm v. Cambell: Criticism and Strategies for Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Navigating the New Rules, Marc A. Johnston, 39 TORT TRIAL AND INSURANCE PRACTICE L.J., 1093 (2004) (winner of Tort Trial Insurance Practice Section national writing competition).
- The Illusion of Insurance, Client Briefing and Newsletter, Parsons Farnell & Grein, (Summer 2006).
Representative Cases
- Sierra Pacific Investment Corp. v. Unigard. Represented insurer in complex, multi-party environmental contamination litigation, negotiating multiple settlement agreements on behalf of insurer.
- Panco v. Air Control, Inc. Represented contractor seeking insurance coverage for construction defect claims, and defended the underlying construction defect claims filed against contractor.
- Mani v. Yarpezeshkan and Laffer. Represented multiple physicians in multi-million dollar business fraud case which settled immediately before the reading of the jury verdict.
- VanDehey v. Allstate. Represent insured client in appeal to the Ninth Circuit regarding an insurance coverage dispute over the interpretation of the insurance policy.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Oregon LRAP (Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program), Representative, 2010 – Present
- Oregon State Bar Mentoring Taskforce, 2010 – Present
- Oregon New Lawyers Division, Board Member, 2009 – Present
- Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, Member, 2009 – Present
- Gonzaga Alumni Committee, Sports Director of Portland Chapter, 2006 – Present
- Chair, Member Services Committee, Oregon New Lawyers Division
- American Bar Association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section and Business Law Section
- Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Association
- Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
- Reed College Mock Trial Program , Head Coach
Past Employment Positions
- Johnston Law Firm, Managing Attorney, October 1, 2009 – Present
- Hiefield Foster and Glascock, Attorney, July 1, 2009 – October 1, 2009
- Prange Law Group, Attorney, September 1, 2006 – July 1, 2009
- Parsons Farnell & Grein, Oregon, 2005 – 2006
- Thorsnes, Bartolotta & McGuire, San Diego, California
- Washington State Legislature, Legislative Assistant to Representatives Jeff Gombosky & Alex Wood, June 1, 2000 – September 1, 2001
Marc is an avid fisherman and rafting enthusiast; he enjoys exploring every inch of Oregon in pursuit of both. Marc grew up playing on championship basketball and baseball teams, and is a college basketball fan.