Location: Houston, Texas

Phone: (713) 863-7100

Fax: 713-863-7133

Johnny began his legal career in at Royston Rayzor in 2002. At Royston Rayzor, Johnny successfully defended Fortune 500 companies domestically and internationally in personal injury litigation, insurance coverage litigation, commercial litigation, construction litigation and securities fraud. Realizing that his true passion was helping families and people tragically injured through the wrongful acts of others, Johnny joined Abraham Watkins in 2006, one of the oldest and prominent plaintiff's firms in Houston. In 2011, Johnny joined Adame & Associates, PLLC as a Partner to lead the litigation department.

As a plaintiff's attorney, Johnny has won multi-million dollar jury verdicts and settlements for his clients. He was part of the trial team that litigated a landmark case, Republic Waste Services of Texas Ltd. v. Elida Griselda Martinez. After Oscar Alfredo Gomez, an undocumented immigrant, suffered a fatal workplace accident, his family obtained an award through a wrongful death lawsuit which was appealed by his employer, contending Mr. Gomez would have been deported in an office raid that occurred two weeks after his death. Republic Waste Services of Texas argued that the compensation should be based on his projected future wages in El Salvador—$1,000 annually—rather than his U.S. earnings of $33,000. The Texas Court of Appeals rejected that argument, ruling the trial court was right to exclude evidence regarding Mr. Gomez's immigration status.

Johnny also gives back to the community by serving on various boards of legal and civic organizations. He is a Board Member of the Career and Recovery Services, Inc., helping people identify and overcome barriers to employment. Johnny is the Immediate Past-President of the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston (“HisBA”), which promotes Hispanics in the community and raises thousands of dollars in scholarships for students. Under Johnny's leadership as President, HisBA raised a record amount of contributions which helped increase the number of law student scholarship awards for 2011 and 2012. Johnny was appointed Co-Chair to the Hispanic National Bar Association's Law Week Committee 2011-2012.

Johnny Garza was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, also known as the Rio Grande Valley. After high school, he double majored in Sociology and Latin American studies at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Johnny continued his studies at the University of Houston Law Center in Houston, Texas. While at Texas A&M and the University of Houston Law Center, he earned numerous distinctions and honors, including graduating cum laude at both universities.

As an attorney, Johnny has received numerous awards and honors. He was named a Rising Star by Aztec Muse Magazine. H Magazine named Johnny as a top attorney in Houston, Texas. In August 2011, Johnny was honored as the Outstanding Young Latino Attorney by the Mexican-American Bar Association of Texas Foundation (MABATx Foundation). In November 2011, Johnny was named as an Influential Latino Leader of the Future by Latino Leaders Magazine.

Areas of Practice

• Catastrophic Injuries
• Wrongful Death
• Product Defects
• Business Litigation
• 18 Wheeler & Commercial Truck Accidents
• Aviation Accidents
• Admiralty & Maritime Accidents
• Birth Injuries
• Brain Damage
• Burns
• Construction Accidents
• DWI Accidents
• Electrocutions
• Environmental Law
• Explosions
• Medical Malpractice
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Nursing Home Negligence
• Offshore Injuries
• Paraplegia
• Patent Infringement
• Petrochemical Accidents
• Pharmaceutical Litigation
• Quadriplegia
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Swimming Pool Accidents
• Workplace Accidents
• Vehicular Accidents

Bar Admissions

• Texas, 2002
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas

Education

• University of Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas
  • J.D. (Cum Laude),2002
• Texas A&M University at College Station
  • B.A., Bachelor of Arts (Cum Laude),1998
  • Major: Sociology and Latin American Studies

Published Works

Do State Medicaid Agencies Have the Right to Full Reimbursement For Medical Payments Made on Behalf of a Medicaid Recipient? The U.S. Supreme Court Has Weighed In, THE ADVOCATE, State Bar Litigation Section Report, Winter, Volume 37, 2006

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Hispanic Bar Association of Houston, Immediate Past-President 2011-2012, President, 2010-2011 - Treasurer, 2009-2010, Board of Directors 2006-Present
• National Hispanic Bar Association, Co-Chair of Law Week Committee 2011-2012, Board of Governors 2009-Present, Deputy to the Regional President of Region XII, 2007
• Houston Lawyer Referral Service, Board of Directors, 2008-Present - Membership Committee, 2010-2011
• Career and Recovery Services, Inc., Board of Directors 2010—Present
• Houston Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Directors, 2008-Present, Committee Member of Annual Golf Tournament 2009, Committee Member of Big League Bash 2009
• Mexican American Bar Association, Member
• American Bar Association, Member
• Houston Bar Association, Member
• Texas Young Lawyers Association, Member
• Houston Young Lawyers Association, Member
• American Association for Justice, Member

Awards

• Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers, 2012
• Influential Latino Leader of the Future by Latino Leaders Magazine, 2011
• Outstanding Young Latino Attorney by the Mexican-American Bar Association of Texas Foundation (MABATx Foundation), , 2011
• Houston's Top Lawyers in personal injury by H Texas Magazine, 2011
• Rising Star by Aztec Muse Magazine, 2010

Past Employment Positions

• Royston, Rayzor, Vickery & Williams, L.L.P., Associate, 2002 - 2006
• Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend, 2006 - 2010

Languages

• Spanish