Daniel K. Johnson
Partner

1100 Peachtree Street NE Suite 2800, Atlanta, GA USA 30309

Overview

Daniel Johnson devotes 100 percent of his practice to construction arbitration, litigation, alternative dispute resolution, government contracting, and construction contract drafting and negotiation. Daniel has experience representing regional, national, and international contractors, subcontractors, engineers, and owners in a variety of proceedings. Daniel has significant experience in domestic and international arbitrations and trials for complex construction matters. In addition to litigation, he represents construction industry clients in transactional matters related to construction contracts.

Daniel was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in 2024 and 2025 for Construction Law and in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of the "Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch" for Construction Law and Construction Litigation. He was recognized in 2023 and the five years immediately preceding as a Georgia "Rising Star" for Construction Litigation by Super Lawyers magazine. Daniel was recommended in 2022 by Legal 500 US for Construction.

Daniel is a co-author of Construction Disputes: Practice Guide with Forms, a two volume treatise first published in 1994 and now in its third edition, along with annual updates.

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Experience

Defended a large general contractor sued by an owner for over $80 million in claims for fraud, conspiracy, and defective construction of a large project in North Carolina. We obtained an Award following a four-week arbitration that rejected the owner’s claims in their entirety and were awarded all of our client’s attorneys’ fees and costs and expenses of the arbitration.

Represented one of the largest heavy industrial contractors in the United States in a AAA ICDR arbitration involving the design and construction of a largest-of-its-kind chemical plant in Texas. The client suffered design delays and changes, delays in various equipment deliveries, massive scope changes, and disruptions by the EPC Contractor, an international joint venture. We obtained an Award in favor of our client, which awarded over $40 million in damages, interest, and attorneys’ fees to our client and rejected the counterclaims against our client in their entirety.

Represented a pipeline construction contractor against an owner and recovered a $5.8 million jury verdict following a 12-day trial in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. We sought and obtained a penalty under the Pennsylvania Contractor and Subcontract Payment Act (CASPA) as well as interest and attorneys’ fees and expenses, bringing the judgment to over $13 million. The owner took an appeal which we also handled for the client. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment in its entirety, which grew to over $15.5 million while the case was pending on appeal and was ultimately paid to our client.

Represented an EPC contractor in litigation in Federal Court who was responsible for the design and construction of two new nuclear power plant units in Georgia, the first new nuclear power plants to be constructed in the United States in 30 years. Contractor’s claims, which were in excess of $1.6 billion, were ultimately settled to the satisfaction of the client.

Represented a heavy mechanical contractor in a dispute that involved the construction and installation of a HRSG cogeneration plant. We obtained an arbitration award of more than $26 million in favor of the client, which represented 100% of damages sought and included interest, expenses, and attorneys’ fees.

Represented an EPC contractor, which was a limited partnership comprised of three international design and construction firms, in litigation in Kansas state court concerning the design and construction of a coal-fired boiler for a new power plant in Texas. Millions of dollars in claims against the designer/manufacturer of the coal-fired boiler were successfully resolved by designer/manufacturer’s payment of a mid-eight-figure amount.

Represented the Owner of a billion dollar Concentrated Solar Power Plant project in an ICC international arbitration against an EPC Contractor related to claims in excess of $150 million arising from alleged design defects and performance guarantees.

Represented an international engineering, construction, and services/supply corporation in an international arbitration involving approximately $75 million in claims arising out of the design, construction, and supply of a new cement plant.

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Insights
Education

University of Virginia School of Law J.D. (2013)

University of Virginia B.S. (2010) Civil and Environmental Engineering

Admissions

Georgia (2013)

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (2022)

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia (2021)

Court of Appeals of Georgia (2014)

Supreme Court of Georgia (2014)

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (2014)

Superior Court of Georgia (2013)

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