Protect What Matters.
You’re Not Alone.
Special Forces for Complex Property Disputes
93%
of landowners who accept the first offer, or something close to it, without a lawyer, leaving significant money on the table
5.4x
average net recovery for clients vs. initial offer in condemnation cases since 2018
20+
years our lead lawyer has represented Texas landowners in eminent domain and property disputes
Face the adversary.
We understand how upsetting—and even frightening—it can be when your property is under attack. Uncaring and powerful forces within government and corporate bureaucracies can take away your livelihood and take away your land.
You don't have to stand up to these powers alone. When your property is threatened, you deserve experienced and creative advocates to help you assert your rights and protect your future. If you stand up and fight, Johns & Counsel will have your back.
In a property dispute?
You’ve come to the right place.
Are you in a dispute about property rights—or facing a pipeline, road, electric line, or other condemnation case? Chris Johns has helped shut down several multi-billion-dollar pipeline projects and obtained top-end compensation for clients in takings cases and other complex property disputes. And for seven years, he literally taught the course on eminent domain and private property rights at the University of Texas School of Law.
Until we are your lawyers, we cannot advise on your specific situation.
But after 20 years of these cases, we would like to share what most landowners need to hear first.
Questions landowners often ask us.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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We cannot tell you what is right for your situation until we are your lawyers. Here’s what we can tell you: About 93% of landowners in pipeline condemnations accept the pipeline company’s first offer, or something close to it, leaving lots of money on the table. So why do condemnors offer lowball offers? Because they work. A condemnor’s first offer is designed to close the deal with most people, not to reflect the true value of the property rights taken from you.
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The answer is “yes,” which surprises most people. In Texas, certain pipeline companies, electric transmission companies, and private toll-road authorities can exercise eminent domain even when the government is not directly involved. Knowing where the limits of that power are is the first step.
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In Texas state courts, yes. You have the right to a jury trial on the value of your property. That right does not always exist in federal courts. It is one of the most important tools a landowner has—and one of the reasons it’s important to have experienced Texas counsel.
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ETJ stands for “extraterritorial jurisdiction,” a zone outside city limits where a city has certain limited powers to regulate property. A 2023 Texas law (S.B. 1844) significantly expanded landowners' rights to remove their property from ETJs. Our lead lawyer helped draft and support that legislation. There is now a real path to get out.
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Disannexation is the legal process of removing your property from a city's jurisdiction. Texas law now gives landowners the right to disannex when they are not receiving full municipal services — meaning the city is exercising control over your property without delivering what it promised in return. Chris helped draft and support S.B. 1844, the legislation that expanded these rights for Texas landowners.
Land law is all we
do as lawyers.
CHRIS JOHNS - FOUNDING ATTORNEY
Chris Johns has spent more than two decades doing one thing: making sure landowners in Texas and other states are not outgunned when the government, a pipeline company, an electric-transmission-line company, or a utility comes for their property.
He has helped shut down several multi-billion-dollar pipeline projects, win jury verdicts that multiplied initial offers by 20 or 30 times, and represented landowners from small family ranches to large commercial operations in Texas and across the country.
He has done more than just practice eminent domain. He literally taught the course at the University of Texas School of Law for seven years. That depth of expertise shapes how every case at this firm is built.
Know your rights before they knock.
FROM THE BLOG
The more you understand how eminent domain works in Texas, the harder it is for anyone to low-ball you.
Plan for success.
1. Call or email to schedule a free initial consultation.
2. Explain your legal issue and how you would like it resolved.
3. We craft the strategy and execute the tactics to achieve your goals.