Counsel

Dallas
901 Main Street
Suite 4000
Dallas TX 75202
TEL: (214) 749-4214
FAX: (214) 760-8994

bjohnson@zellelaw.com

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Practice Areas

Bar and Court Admissions

State Court: Texas, Colorado
United States District Court: Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern Districts of Texas

Education

South Texas College of Law, J.D., 1995
Texas Corporate Counsel Law Review, Research Editor
Texas Association of Defense Counsel Practice & Procedure Newsletter, Author/Editor
Texas A&M University, B.B.A., 1992, Marketing

Brandt R. Johnson

Brandt has nearly 30 years of experience in a variety of legal disciplines, including first party insurance law (catastrophic weather, hail, and wind litigation), insurance bad faith law, general business law, business litigation, conflict resolution and risk/exposure analysis and reduction.

Brandt has an extensive breadth of legal experience both in private practice and in an in-house setting, having served as Senior Vice President of Claims for a regional insurance carrier, directing all aspects of the claims operation, including handling all escalated/contested claims as well as managing a team of inside desk adjusters and field adjusters, representing the company at mediations, and assisting trial attorneys with case preparation.

An effective negotiator and relational leader, Brandt believes in the importance of teamwork and works well with representatives at all levels of an organization, whether in a legal department or in a cross-functional setting.

Representative Matters

Property Insurance

Currently manages multiple complex first party commercial and residential insurance matters, including hail & wind cases throughout Texas.

Bad Faith and Extra-Contractual Liability

Previously managed an extensive docket of first party catastrophic storm cases, including matters involving alleged breach of contract, Texas Insurance Code violations and common-law bad faith, for a national Fortune 500 insurance carrier.

Commercial Litigation

Successfully represented a multinational corporation in a complex commercial licensing dispute with over $300 million in controversy.

Articles & Presentations

"Everything is Bigger in Texas; but, was the Hail Damaging and When did it Occur?", Windstorm Insurance Network 2025 Conference, Dallas, TX, January 27, 2025, panelist

“An INTERESTing Question: Does A Texas Insurer Owe Statutory Penalty Interest on Disputed Claim Payments Without a Legal Judgment?,” The Zelle Lonestar Lowdown, May 14, 2024, co-author

“What the Hail is Going On? Fraud in CAT Claims,” National Association of Catastrophe Adjusters (NACA) Annual Convention, Reno, NV, January 23, 2024, presenter

"Concurrent Causation – The Doctrine You Must Understand," Zelle 2024 What the Hail? Conference, Irving, TX, February 8, 2024, presenter

"After Appraisal and Interest Payment: Court Finds that Attorneys’ Fees & TPPCA Interest Do Not Constitute an Independent Injury," The Zelle Lonestar Lowdown, September 12, 2023, co-author

“What the Hail is Going On? An Update from the Trenches Regarding Fraud in Property Claims,” 2023 International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU) Annual Conference, September 18, 2023, presenter

“Viewpoint: Evidentiary Issues With Google Earth Images in Property Claims,” The Zelle Lonestar Lowdown, June 13, 2023, co-author

"Viewpoint: Evidentiary Issues with Google Earth Images in Property Claims," Claims Journal, May 30, 2023, co-author

"Fraud in CAT Claims," TASIU 21st Annual Gulf Coast Insurance Fraud Seminar, May 11, 2023, presenter

"The End of the Voluntary-Involuntary Rule," Claims Journal, December 16, 2022, co-author

"Fraud in CAT Claims" - 2022 North Texas IASIU Fraud Conference

"What the Hail?" - 2022 AFR Insurance Annual Storm School

Professional Affiliations

Birdville Independent School District
– Hawks First Down Club, Team Representative
– Flyin' Hawks Cross Country Booster Club, Vice President
Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District
– District Strategic Economic Action Team
– District Budget Advisory Committee
– District Excellence Committee
– District Bell Committee
– Bransford Elementary Campus Excellence Committee
Cameron County Child Welfare Board
– Appointed by the Cameron County Judge; Elected Secretary

Pro Bono Activities

Brandt has personally assisted numerous low-income families with various legal matters at no cost. These matters have included family law issues, litigation, property disputes, as well as criminal offenses.

Community Service

Birdville Youth Football Association, Coach 2020-present
American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure
– Participated in the annual fundraising cycling event for the American Diabetes Association. Recognized as the top fundraiser in the history of the South Texas Tour de Cure.
Ironman Coeur d’Alene Triathlon
– Completed the Ford Ironman Coeur d’Alene Triathlon in a race that saw one of the highest drop-out rates in history. Raised over $25,000 for the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance as part of the Janus Charity Challenge.

Noteworthy

Elected to Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation, 2023