Amy Johnston

Practice Areas

Litigation and dispute resolution; arbitration and alternative dispute resolution; automotive litigation; class and collective actions; commercial and corporate litigation; franchise, dealer and sales representative litigation; product liability and torts

Career

Amy M. Johnston is a seasoned litigator who specializes in complex commercial disputes and class actions with an emphasis on banking, energy, manufacturing and real estate industries.

With more than 25 years of courtroom and commercial arbitration experience, Amy has represented large and small companies in business, trade secret, anti-trust, PMPA, environmental, oil and gas royalties, electric energy, utility accounting, avoided costs, FERC, PURPA, class actions, construction, real estate, UCC, petroleum marketing and branding, mass tort, contract and product liability matters. She has also represented lender clients in defensive litigation as well as real estate workouts and foreclosures in Michigan and Ohio.

Clients routinely look to Amy as trusted counsel. She excels at client service and is well-known for her skills, depth, breath and high reputation in the legal community. Her experience in representing companies from pre-litigation through trial enables her to provide insight into litigation avoidance as well as trial strategies for successful outcomes. Amy's practice is nationwide, having represented clients in state and federal courts and arbitration hearings throughout the United States.

Throughout the years, Amy has established solid relationships with clients and developed a deep knowledge and understanding of clients' business objectives. Amy regularly serves as general business counsel to a wide range of companies, from Fortune 500 to start-up. Amy is highly regarded for providing advice on a broad range of business and legal matters with an eye toward consistency in process and long-term business solutions.

Amy is publicly recognized as a leading lawyer. In 2020, she was named as one of the Best Women Lawyers in America by Best Lawyers®, as well as recognized in the top 5 Women Lawyers and top 10 Women Business Lawyers by Leading Lawyers. Amy was also honored for her leadership in Michigan Lawyers Weekly's 2014 Women in the Law. In addition, she has been recognized on U.S. News & World Report's "Top 25 Women Lawyers in Michigan" list since 2016, "Top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan" since 2011 and "Best Lawyers in America" since 2008. She has been a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, the trial lawyer honorary society, since 2007.

Amy is also the former Chair of Miller Canfield's Managing Directors.

Professional Memberships

American Bar Foundation, Fellow

Michigan State Bar Foundation, Fellow

Oakland County Bar Foundation, Fellow

Michigan Supreme Court, Committee on Model Jury Instructions, Jan. 1, 2017-Dec. 31, 2021

American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Petroleum Marketing Committee, Chair 2007-2008, 2008-2009; Vice Chair, Membership 2009-present

American Inns of Court, Master of the Bench, 2003-2011

Diversity Law Institute

The Trial Law Institute

Association of Defense Trial Counsel

Defense Research Institute, E-Discovery Committee Member

Federal Bar Association

Michigan Defense Trial Counsel

Ohio Bar Association

State Bar of Michigan

International Franchise Association

Leadership Oakland XVII, Vice President

United States District Court Advanced Technology and Electronic Evidence Courtroom Certified, 2006

Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC)

Publications

"Tools for the Defense Deposition," co-authored with Erika Giroux, Michigan Bar Journal, March 2020

"Practical Advice for Obtaining Favorable Alternative Dispute Resolution Outcomes," Inside the Minds™: Trends in Alternative Dispute Resolution (Thomson Reuters/Aspatore 2012)

"The PMPA Landscape After Mac's Shell: A Survey of Significant PMPA Decisions in 2011," (co-author Robert E. Murkowski), ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, 2012

"Litigation Damages in the Petroleum Marketing and Franchise Industry," American Bar Association, Forum on Franchising (October 2007)

"Homeland Security, the Patriot Act and Effects on the Petroleum Marketing and Franchise Industry," American Bar Association, Forum on Franchising (October 2007)

"Alternative Dispute Resolution as a Cure to the Product Liability Epidemic," ADR Journal (June 1997)

"Fairness vs. Surprise: The Rebuttal Evidence Debate," 77 University of Detroit Law Review 531 (2000)

Education