Neale T. Johnson

T (336) 378-5319
T (336) 402-1725
F (336) 433-7442

Neale Johnson’s practice centers on commercial litigation, with a focus on construction, contract, real estate, title insurance, and landlord-tenant matters.

In the construction area, Mr. Johnson represents owners, general contractors, and subcontractors in a variety of construction disputes. Areas of concentration include: 

  • contract disputes 
  • delay claims 
  • differing site conditions 
  • labor inefficiency 
  • warranty and construction defect claims 
  • liens and bond claims 
  • state public contracting

Mr. Johnson prosecutes and defends construction claims in state and federal court and before arbitration panels, including those constituted under the Construction Rules of the American Arbitration Association and other arbitration panels. Mr. Johnson is an active member of the Construction Section of the North Carolina Bar Association and the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Construction Industry.

Mr. Johnson litigates commercial matters involving, among other things:

  • common law and sales contracts
  • security agreements 
  • negotiable instruments (promissory notes) 
  • consumer lending matters 
  • insurance

Mr. Johnson prosecutes and defends commercial torts, including claims of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair trade practices. Mr. Johnson also represents victims of fraud and embezzlement.

Mr. Johnson handles a wide array of real estate disputes, including: 

  • title insurance claims and coverage
  • contested foreclosures 
  • boundary disputes and partitions
  • disputes as to title to or security in real property 
  • reformation of deeds, deeds of trust, and other conveyances 
  • real covenants, easements, and association issues 
  • disputes as the priority of security instruments 
  • evictions, including summary ejectment and constructive eviction claims 
  • lease disputes, such as repair obligations, assignment and subleasing, insurance, and constructive eviction.

In addition to private practice, Mr. Johnson teaches pretrial practice and trial practice as an adjunct professor at Elon University School of Law in Greensboro, North Carolina.


Education

  • J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 1998
  • B.A., magna cum laude, University of South Carolina, 1988

Admissions

  • North Carolina, 1998
  • United States District and Bankruptcy Courts in North Carolina
  • United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit

Academic Honors

  • Business Manager and Member, Articles Review Board, Virginia Law Review
  • Z Society Shannon Award for Highest GPA, UVA Law Class of 1998
  • Order of the Coif
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Hampton Award for Highest GPA in History Department, USC Class of 1988

Achievements

  • Business North Carolina's Legal Elite, Construction, 2010, 2012, 2013

Professional Memberships

  • American Bar Association Forum of the Construction Industry, Steering Committee of Young Lawyers Division and member of Divisions 9 (Speciality Contractors and Subcontractors) and 12 (Owners and Lenders) 
  • American Bar Association Litigation Section
  • North Carolina Bar Association Construction Section, Governing Council Member
  • North Carolina Bar Association Litigation Section

Experience

  • Military Service, Commissioned Officer in U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, 1988-2004
  • Artillery Fire Direction Officer and Platoon Commander during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 1990-91

Publications

  • "United States v. Microsoft Corporation and the Future of High-Tech Tying Claims" Antitrust News (Vol. II, No. 1) September 21, 2000