Biography

Admitted to the State Bar of Texas, 1983

Mrs. Johannsen has a robust track record of results as a senior legal advisor and hands-on attorney handling high volumes of litigation and advisory matters as well as negotiating and documenting complex transactions. She is an accomplished and influential professional with a propensity for negotiating favorable client outcomes.

Before coming to Canterbury, PC, Mrs. Johannsen was Of Counsel with Estes Thorne & Carr PLLC. Because of her expertise, she led the firm in developing and building a new construction and architectural practice focusing on liability and legal strategy. Mrs. Johannsen represented general contractors, subcontractors, and architects. During this time, she received recognition as one of the best lawyers for Commercial and Construction litigation in the Dallas area and was named one of the Best Lawyers in America.

Mrs. Johannsen served as General Counsel for The Beck Group for 11 years. She was involved in mitigating risks and unforeseen obstacles by conducting due diligence, instituting, and modernizing compliance polices and staying abreast of evolving regulations specific to the construction and architectural industries. Mrs. Johannsen also developed litigation strategy and standardized contract templates to be used company wide. She implemented training procedures that included contract summaries of key points and notice letter templates, state-specific indemnification provisions and in-person contract review and training in the field.

Prior to her tenure as Beck’s General Counsel, Mrs. Johannsen was a partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, LLC, an international law firm and an equity shareholder at Winstead P.C.

Areas of Practice

Education

  • Eastern New Mexico University (B.A. English, Spanish)

    • Cum Laude

  • Texas Tech School of Law (J.D.)

    • Law Review Editor; Comment Editor - Outstanding Law Review Student

    • Texas Banking Lawyer Student Editor

Community Honors & Involvement

  • Attorneys’ Serving the Community

  • President, Victims’ Outreach Board of Directors

  • President, Bryan’s House Board of Directors

  • Honoree, 2012 Hats Off to Mothers - Easter Seals of North Texas

Recent Speaking Engagements

  • Pressure Tested Podcast “Should retainage be negotiable? And how can we incentivize craftsmen to encourage Gen Z to join the trades?” Spotify at bit.ly/3B7n8YJ or Apple Music at bit.ly/3MMy6oS (September 2024)

  • Risk On/Risk Off Podcast “Conversation with Tonya Johannsen, Canterbury, PC” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To3M-fqhSaE&t (December 2023)

  • 2021 CLO Forum “Getting to No – How to Provide Costly, Independent, and Effective Legal Advice to Senior Management/Board of Directors… Even When They Absolutely Don’t Want to Hear It” (August 25, 2021) ACC youtube channel:  https://youtube/AQZv5Xe8hMU

  • Close Up Radio Interview with Tonya Johannsen https://www.blogtalkradio.com/.../close-up-radio...

  • Austin College Law Symposium, “Legal Ethics and Client Advocacy in Civil Litigation: The Lawyer’s Perspective” (February 28, 2020)

  • “Certificates of Merit in Texas: An Analysis of the Legislative Changes and Potential Litigation Impacts” Texas Construction Law Foundation and Construction Law Section (November 26, 2019)

  • American Bar Association Construction Law Forum: “Corporate Counsel and Outside Counsel: The Good, the Bad, And the Ugly” (Washington, DC, April 2017)

  • Texas Construction Law Seminar: “Corporate Counsel Panel: Most Important Issues Facing In-house Counsel” (San Antonio, March 2017)

  • Women in the Law: “Leading, Empowering and Succeeding” (March 2014)

  • American Bar Association Construction Law Forum: “Building Information Modeling: New Horizons” (January 2014)

Publications

  • Author, “Owners, Architects & Contractors: Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?”, Dallas Bar Association’s Publication, Headnotes

Honors and Recognition

  • D Magazine’s Best Lawyers 2023  

  • Best Lawyers in America 2021

  • D Magazine’s Best Lawyers 2020 and 2021 for Construction and Commercial Litigation

  • Top Legal Leader in Corporate Counsel and National Law Journal

  • Pinnacle Attorney Honoree in Who’s Who 2021

  • Top Attorney of the Year for 2021 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiaI7Zl_U94

  • Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America

  • AV Preeminent Rated Attorney – 25 years

  • Outstanding Alumni Award Texas Tech School of Law 2019

  • Dallas Bar Association “Inspiring Woman” Award

  • Dallas Business Lawyers 100 Best Litigators in Dallas

  • Southern Methodist University School of Law Adjunct Professor – Trial Advocacy

  • SMU Corporate Counsel Externship Program 2013 – 2019

  • Texas Tech School of Law Externship Program 2016 – 2018

  • SMU Corporate Counsel Symposium Board of Directors 2016 – 2018

  • Vanguard Law Profile https://www.vanguardlawmag.com/case-studies/tonya-johannsen-the-beck-group/ 2018

  • National Diversity Counsel 2017 Honoree

  • Top 50 General Counsels - 2017

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