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Tonya L. Johannsen— Commercial Litigator and Attorney

Plano, TX — Tonya L. Johannsen is being recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a Top Pinnacle Attorney for her exceptional work in the legal field and in acknowledgment of her work as a premier counselor and advocate for her clients as well as her contributions to the community.

As a seasoned professional attorney, Ms. Johannsen is known for her storytelling abilities, simplifying complex issues in a way that clients, judges, and juries can understand and relate to. With more than 30 years of experience as a commercial litigator, she specializes in cases involving the construction and banking industries.

In 2021, Ms. Johannsen started a new role at Canterbury Law in Dallas, TX, a nationally recognized leader in the construction legal industry. Canterbury Law is known for its work in the fields of construction, corporate law, commercial real estate, trucking and transportation, and alternative dispute resolution.

To prepare for her career, she graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Teacher Education. Ms. Johannsen spent four years teaching 9th grade English. After being encouraged to move into educational administration, Ms. Johannsen instead decided to pursue her childhood dream of being a lawyer.

She earned her Juris Doctor at the Texas Tech University School of Law in 1983, and became certified by the Texas and American Bar Associations. She then began a position as a litigation associate, and in 1990, after seven years as an associate, became an equity shareholder at Winstead PC. In 1998, she became a partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, & Feld. She then worked as General Counsel for the Beck Group from 2008-2019. In her previous job, lasting from 2019-2021, Ms. Johannsen was a respected member of Counsel at Estes Thorne & Carr PLLC. She strengthened the financial services practice group by increasing the client base, managing liability, and providing legal strategies.

Awards for her prestigious work include: being named one of the 100 Best Litigators by Dallas Business Lawyers in 1996; being the recipient of a Fellowship with the Construction Lawyers Society of America in 1997; an honoree of the National Diversity Lawyer’s Council; chosen as the 2019 Outstanding Alumni Award by the Texas Tech School of Law; selected as the Dallas Bar Association’s “Inspiring Woman” award; named Digital Magazine’s Top Attorney of the Year 2021, and included on D Magazine’s 2020 and 2021 list of Best Lawyers for Construction and Commercial Litigation. For 25 years she has been an AV Preeminent Rated Attorney.

For more information, please visit https://www.canterburylaw.com/.

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