Veteran appellate lawyer Anne Johnson joined Norton Rose Fulbright earlier this month from Tillotson Johnson & Patton, where she continued building a reputation as one of the top appellate lawyers in Texas.
She joined the firm’s Dallas office as U.S. head of appellate and focuses her practice on high stakes appeals, post-trial proceedings and appellate strategy in complex litigation.
“Anne brings a depth of appellate experience that has earned her a strong reputation among clients facing the most consequential stages of disputes,” said Jeff Cody, Norton Rose’s global and U.S. managing partner. “Her arrival, along with this accomplished team, reflects our commitment to building a litigation and disputes practice that serves clients at every stage in every market.”
Before joining Norton Rose, Johnson practiced at Tillotson Johnson for four years. She launched her career at Haynes Boone, where she invested 26 years and held various leadership roles, including chairing the litigation department, leading the appellate practice group and serving on the firm’s executive committee and board of directors.
“Appellate advocacy is a critical component of modern litigation strategy, and Anne is one of the most trusted voices in that space,” said Steve Jansma, Norton Rose’s U.S. head of litigation and disputes. “Anne and her team enhance our ability to deliver sophisticated appellate counsel and bring exactly the kind of strategic depth we look for as we continue expanding our premier disputes practice.”
“Norton Rose Fulbright is a litigation powerhouse that has made a strong commitment to building an exceptional, robust appellate bench,” Johnson said. “I have known and worked with the firms’ top-notch lawyers for years, and I am excited to call them my partners and colleagues.”
Joining Johnson in the Dallas move were senior counsel Kelli Bills and counsel Megan Coker, with senior associate Stephani Michel in Houston.
AREAS OF FOCUS
Johnson focuses her practice on high stakes appellate litigation and complex dispute strategy, advising clients on post-trial proceedings, appeals and error in preservation in state and federal courts. She is regularly engaged at the earliest stages of litigation to help frame dispositive legal arguments, shape motions to dismiss and summary judgement strategy, and position matters for success on appeal. Her work frequently involves appeals arising from significant jury verdicts and disputes where she collaborates closely with trial teams to develop cohesive, beginning to end litigation strategies.
EDUCATION
University of Pennsylvania (BA, 1992)
The University of Texas School of Law (JD, 1995)
The Texas Lawbook spoke with Johnson recently about her move to Norton Rose, trends she’s seeing in her appellate practice and more:
The Texas Lawbook: What was the connection with your new firm that initially led to discussions about you joining the team, and how did it start?
Anne Johnson: Norton Rose Fulbright, sometimes I call them Fulbright since they were Fulbright & Jaworski for many years, is a firm whose lawyers I have known, worked with and worked against for a long time. I have good friends at the firm, especially Brett Govett and Ellen Sessions in the Dallas office. The discussions began with a call from Jeff Cody, followed by a lunch.
Jeff is an impressive leader, and his accomplishments at the firm speak for themselves. He also has a strategic vision for the firm, especially in litigation, which is my main interest. Beyond his skills, Jeff is a genuinely nice person and a true servant leader. That’s how it started.
The Lawbook: What are two or three of the most important trends that you’re seeing within your practice area?
Johnson: The key trend in my appellate work is rising jury verdict amounts. We are seeing more cases go to trial and higher verdicts … so-called nuclear and thermonuclear verdicts.
The annual Norton Rose Fulbright litigation trends survey is a great tool for clients.
The 2026 trends confirm rising concern: 77 percent of respondents worry about nuclear verdicts (over $10 million), and 58 percent about thermonuclear verdicts (over $100 million).
This matches what I see in my practice across industries, including energy litigation in Texas. Clients are increasingly concerned about large jury awards.
These trends are also changing how I am brought in. Clients now call me earlier, not just after bad results. They seek help with dispositive motions and to prepare for appeals in advance.
Another major trend for all lawyers is the impact of generative AI, which is rapidly evolving our practice. At Norton Rose Fulbright, I have learned about powerful legal tools and associated risks. Every lawyer should routinely consider both the opportunities and the risks of AI in practice.
The Lawbook: What has your best day been as a lawyer?
Johnson: I’ve been practicing law for 30 years, and there are different phases of your career.
If you had asked me in my first 10 years of practice, my best days would have been those thrilling moments of standing up in court, like my first Fifth Circuit argument or appearing with a colleague before the en banc Fifth Circuit. Those were highlights early on, along with some gratifying wins and long-standing client relationships.
About six or seven years ago, for instance, I led a team at my former firm that reversed a $110 million fraud judgment for a bank. That client has since become an important one, and we’re handling a case for them in the Texas Supreme Court now.
While I could list cases I’ve won, recently, my favorite days are when my team members shine. In the past six months, our group of four has had 11 appellate arguments, including three in the Texas Supreme Court. Four of these were handled by Stephani, Kelli and Megan, and my favorite days have been supporting them as they excelled in major cases. Seeing their talent recognized has become especially meaningful.
You know, when you’re a young lawyer, the best days really are when you get to take the lead and show your abilities: standing up in court, presenting to a client or handling something important. As your career progresses, what you value about your best days changes. It evolves as you gain more experience.
The Lawbook: Would you say that some of those client successes that you shared were some of your most important achievements to you throughout your career thus far?
Johnson: It’s interesting. In terms of achievement, I would say the things I’m most proud are wins for the clients. I’ve been fortunate to work on some really talented teams, both the group I have now and the one at my former firm. We’ve scored some incredible wins for clients. But there are other achievements: developing young lawyers, developing the team that I have.
Kelli and I have been together for 15 years, and she is now just an extraordinarily talented appellate lawyer, and I am proud of her. I feel like I had something to do with that, same with Stephani and Megan. That’s something I feel very proud of.
The other thing I’ll say is that I have three grown children and they’re all doing just really great. And there are times in my career when I worried about whether I was doing the right thing by having this big career. Could I manage it? Could I raise these kids? Could I do all of those things?
I think a lot of women lawyers really relate to that, because it can be hard. My kids are really great people, and I’m so proud of them, and they all turned out really well. One’s still in college, the other two are out of college. But that feels like an achievement. I think many lawyers will appreciate that.
The Lawbook: Are there any specific pro bono efforts or public service projects that have meant the most to you through your career?
Johnson: This is not pro bono, and it’s not public service, but it is something that I’m proud of. In the last year I represented the City of Dallas in a pretty major dispute with the Dallas Police and Fire pension system.
It was a very important issue for both sides for our first responders in Dallas, who we all want to see get taken care of. And my opposing counsel in that case was my former colleague at Haynes Boone, Ben Mesches. We had a very, I would say, intense appellate process.
It resulted in an argument before the El Paso Court of Appeals late last year, and the case was resolved shortly thereafter. And I think it was a result that everyone on all sides could be very proud of. That felt good. That was not pro bono, and it was not public service, but it was something that I felt really, really good about doing for the city and for our first responders.