Financial services litigator Karla Johnson joins Jones Day in Pittsburgh
Karla Johnson has joined Jones Day as of counsel in its Financial Markets Practice. She is based in the Firm's Pittsburgh Office.
Ms. Johnson focuses her practice on high-stakes financial services and class action litigation, representing major financial institutions in state and federal courts across the country, as well as in arbitration proceedings. She has significant experience in matters involving mortgage lending and servicing, allegations of discriminatory lending, auto lending and repossession disputes, deposit account litigation including claims under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and UCC Article 4A, mass arbitration relating to overdraft fee practices, and exposure relating to the operation of Ponzi schemes. Ms. Johnson has successfully defended financial institution clients in a federal jury trial, secured favorable appellate decisions at the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the Pennsylvania Superior Court, and has extensive experience defeating class certification and negotiating complex class action settlements in some of the most consequential matters facing the financial services industry.
"Karla is an exceptional litigator whose deep experience defending financial institutions in complex, high-stakes matters make her a tremendous addition to our Financial Markets Practice," said, Jay Tambe, who leads Jones Day's Financial Markets Practice. "Her proven ability to handle sophisticated class action litigation, including consumer finance and consumer class action, mass arbitration threats, and regulatory disputes across the full spectrum of financial services will directly benefit our clients. Karla's talent for developing creative litigation strategies further strengthens our team's capacity to serve our global financial institution clients at the highest level."
Jones Day's Financial Markets Practice is a full-service global practice in which nearly 320 lawyers advise on the full range of complex cross-border financial transactions, regulatory matters, investigations, and litigation. Clients benefit from a collaborative approach and deep understanding of the banking and financial markets. The practice represents a diverse client base of global financial institutions, issuers, borrowers, funds, asset managers, and fintech companies. The team has helped clients close more than $1 trillion in financing transactions over the last five years, including many precedent-setting financings.
"Karla has command of every phase of complex litigation, from managing massive discovery and preparing corporate witnesses through class certification battles and, when necessary, trial," said Becky Kcehowski, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Pittsburgh Office. "Having advised major financial institutions throughout the country on consumer finance and consumer class action litigation, her arrival further strengthens our ability to serve clients locally and across the country and reflects our continued commitment to expanding a world-class team in Pittsburgh."
Ms. Johnson earned her JD from University of Pittsburgh School of Law and her BA from Washington and Jefferson College.
"Jones Day's culture of seamless collaboration across offices and practices is exactly what I have been looking for to best serve my clients," said Ms. Johnson. "The ability to collaborate daily with practitioners across disciplines — from transactional and regulatory to investigations and litigation — allows me to offer my financial institution clients a comprehensive, coordinated approach that no single lawyer or siloed practice could deliver. I am proud to join a Firm where shared professional values and mutual commitment to client service define the way we work every day."
