Serving clients in a two-pronged practice, John Atkins counsels and represents Texas-based organizations and individuals on civil rights and insurance coverage issues.
John’s clients include funds that help people obtain legal and safe reproductive health care services. He helps these groups avoid risk and comply with the 2022 law that largely made abortion illegal in certain states. Because the legislation provides mostly undefined exceptions regarding the life and health of pregnant women, John and his team file lawsuits to try to gain clarity on its parameters.
John also represents protesters and other plaintiffs in police misconduct cases. Many of the civil rights issues on which he counsels clients involve Section 1983 Young claims related to civil action for deprivation of rights, as well as ex parte Young components.
On the insurance side, John advocates for clients who are involved in indemnity and contractual liability disputes with insurance companies. He also helps policyholders secure coverage, reviews their policies, and drafts indemnity provisions and contractual insurance terms.
John’s background in state government and politics enhances his ability to serve clients. He previously served as a legislative assistant to two Oregon state lawmakers and worked as a policy analyst for the Oregon Insurance Division.
In addition to outstanding trial and communication skills, John brings an intuition for finding the best arguments and all the case law that supports them. He also draws on his commercial litigation experience in transportation, eminent domain, and oil and gas cases.
experience
- Key member of team that obtained a favorable seven-figure verdict for a major national railroad against a stevedoring company for failure to load a train car properly, resulting in a derailment incident.
- Obtained a six-figure commitment to assist settlement in a major business litigation case involving failure to pay a judgment from a major international insurer despite serious reservations by the insurer about whether the claim fell within the scope of coverage.
- Obtained a six-figure policy limits settlement for a white-collar defendant from a major international insurer during mediation, after preserving the client’s claim against the insurer’s dispositive motions.
- Obtained a six-figure judgment (via offer of judgment) on behalf of a private plaintiff in a defamation case against a major special interest organization, in substantial part by persuading the defendant’s insurer of the major litigation risks.
- Assisted teams that obtained multiple coverage and reimbursement dispute victories against major health insurers in arbitration involving hundreds of claims and millions of dollars.
- Obtained favorable summary judgment defeating unenforceable liability and negligence waiver in favor of a client whose airplane was damaged while in the care of a public/private airport, assisting the rest of the litigation team in obtaining a satisfactory settlement.
- On the team of attorneys that obtained substantial relief, remuneration, and policy changes for a class of sexual assault victims who sued the City of Austin and Travis County, work that has been featured in a documentary titled “An Army of Women.”
- Major contributor to the team that successfully obtained a judgment from a specially assigned multi-district litigation judge in Texas that Senate Bill 8 – the infamous Texas “bounty hunter” law that enabled individual Texas citizens to sue strangers who had abortions – was unconstitutional as a violation of due process and the separation of powers.
Professional
- OutLaw, Texas Bar Association LGBT Law Group, Texas Bar Association Insurance Law Group
Community
- Doctors Without Borders
- “The Texas Citizens Participation Act Enters a New Era”
On the Cusp, UNT Dallas Law Review, Spring 2021 - “Texas Caselaw Update”
Journal of Texas Insurance Laws, 2016-Present - “Takeaways from Two Recent Computer Fraud Insurance Cases”
The Texas Lawbook, October 15, 2018 - “Texas Rice Land Partners Revisited: Texas Supreme Court Sets Low Bar for Pipeline Common Carriers”
The Texas Law Book, March 2, 2017 - “Lessons Learned from In re American Express Anti-Steering Rules Litigation”
The Antitrust Lawyer, Federal Bar Association Winter 2015
- “Indemnification and Insurance”
Dallas Nonprofit Law Study Group October 17, 2018
My husband and I have a young, active son who keeps us very busy. I also teach classes a few times a week at the Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym we own. We both enjoy bringing that martial art to more people.