Who We Are
Phone: (215) 490-7436
Email: grj@grjlawoffice.com
Geoffrey R. Johnson
Geoff focuses on complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense, internal investigations and constitutional matters, including First Amendment law.
Geoff has tried dozens of civil and criminal cases in federal and state courts. He has extensive experience with County and Statewide Investigating Grand Juries, and a record of successfully achieving prosecution declinations for corporate and individual clients in federal and state grand jury investigations.
Geoff has successfully prosecuted and defended numerous civil rights and tort actions, obtaining multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts for plaintiffs and dismissal of claims for defendants. He has represented multiple public officials in defamation actions, including a Congressman, State Senators, State Representatives, members of the judiciary and others. He also has an extensive appellate practice, and successfully argued several landmark cases in federal and state appellate courts on an array of issues.
Before entering private practice, Geoff served as a law clerk on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania to future Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Frank J. Montemuro, Jr. In 1984, he joined Sprague & Sprague where he managed numerous high-profile cases until he launched his own firm, the Law Office of Geoffrey R. Johnson, in 2012.
Geoff has been AV® Preeminent™ rated by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest rating for legal ability and general ethics, since 1999. Since 2005, Geoff has also been recognized annually as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in multiple fields, including First Amendment/Civil Rights Law, Constitutional Law, and General Litigation.
Commercial Litigation
- Successfully defended Fortune 50 company in action seeking an accounting and imposition of a constructive trust.
- Successfully defended a major health care insurer in class action seeking reallocation of surplus reserve funds to reduce premiums.
- Successfully prosecuted a novel claim for an equitable easement enabling a shopping center to continue use of a neighboring parking lot essential to its operation.
- Obtained summary judgment and recovery of sale price in action by printing company against purchaser of company’s assets.
- Obtained defense verdict for tech company in action by former employee for allegedly unpaid commissions under the Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law.
White Collar Defense and Investigations
- Obtained a nol pros of felony environmental charges by uncovering possible criminal conduct by Attorney General’s Office during its criminal investigation.
- Successfully defended the manager of a commercial painting contractor against charges of conspiring to obstruct justice, witness tampering, perjury, and harboring an illegal alien. Jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania resulted in a not guilty verdict on all charges.
- Successfully represented an official of a major horticultural organization in a Department of Justice investigation into the illegal importation of agricultural products.
- Successfully represented a legislator in Statewide Investigating Grand Jury investigation into alleged improper election day cash payments.
- Represented legislative staff in investigation by the State Ethics Commission regarding a claim that legislator used office staff for personal purposes.
- Coordinated multiple attorneys in representing legislative staff in criminal investigation, including research, meetings, developing theories, subpoena response, and preservation of documents and electronic data.
- Consulted with and assisted primary counsel in defense of State Representative against criminal charges.
Civil Rights (including First Amendment)
- Successfully represented a Congressman in a defamation action against a periodical resulting in a highly favorable confidential settlement.
- Defended a legislator against federal claim alleging violation of a staff member’s First Amendment right to political affiliation.
- Successfully defended a public official in a civil rights action by a court administrator alleging retaliatory firing. Conceived, developed and advocated landmark theory attributing legislative immunity to co-defendant, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Obtained a favorable settlement for client in a follow-up case against a court administrator for malicious use of process.
Election Law
- Successfully represented a high-ranking public official in investigation for alleged criminal violations of campaign finance law.
- Successfully represented prominent mayoral candidate in a residency challenge during primary election.
- Advised public officials and numerous candidates for public office regarding election law compliance.
Appellate Litigation
- Successfully represented the Lancaster County District Attorney in obtaining the reversal of a writ of habeas corpus that freed a convicted murderer, Lisa Lambert, from prison.
- Successfully defeated recognition of the neutral reportage privilege before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
- Successfully obtained recognition of the “reasonable accommodation analysis” as the standard for burden of proof in reasonable accommodation cases under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
Education
- Villanova University School of Law, J.D.
- University of Notre Dame, A.B.
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Tax Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Memberships/Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Montgomery Bar Association
Selected Speaking Engagements
- “Defamation and SLAPP Suits: Where Do We Stand 50 Years After New York Times v. Sullivan?,” Philadelphia Bar Association Bench Bar Conference, Oct. 2014
Phone: (215) 704-1274
Email: gj@grjlawoffice.com
Geoffrey R. Johnson
Geoffrey focuses his practice on litigation, including federal and state appeals, white collar defense and investigations, government enforcement actions, complex commercial litigation and civil rights matters. He has argued cases before trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Geoffrey served as a law clerk to the Honorable Julio M. Fuentes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Honorable Frederic Block of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Geoffrey was also a litigation associate in the New York office of a major international law firm where he represented large financial institutions in a variety of litigation matters and maintained an active pro bono practice focusing on civil rights issues.
While in law school, Geoffrey was a senior editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.
Geoffrey was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America among the 2021 Ones to Watch in the Criminal Defense: White Collar practice area.
Education
- University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
- Fordham University, B.A., summa cum laude
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- New York
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Memberships/Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Montgomery Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Third Circuit Bar Association
Selected Publications
- “Special Masters Can Ease COVID-19 Criminal Case Backlog,” co-author with Hon. Thomas I. Vanaskie (Ret.), Law 360, August 2020.
- “Advisory Opinion: A Former Third Circuit Judge’s Tips for Winning on Appeal,” co-author with Hon. Thomas I. Vanaskie (Ret.) and Peter J. Adonizio, Jr., On Appeal, May 2020.