Robert Johnson retired from Munger, Tolles & Olson’s tax department in June 2024. He joined the firm in 1968 as its first full-time tax lawyer and served as a Co-Managing Partner of the firm from 1999 to 2005.
Mr. Johnson worked on a very broad range of corporate, partnership, employee benefits, executive compensation, and other tax matters during his 56 years with the firm. For many years he regularly represented a variety of companies, management consultants and executives in connection with employment agreements, executive compensation, employee benefits and corporate governance matters.
Mr. Johnson served on the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He also served on the Executive Committees and as the Chair of the Taxation Sections of both the State Bar of California and the Los Angeles County Bar Association. While he was Chair of the State Bar Taxation Section, he and another member of the Executive Committee were responsible for starting Young Tax Lawyers Committees throughout California. Mr. Johnson received the V. Judson Klein Award from the State Bar of California Taxation Section in 1997 and the Dana Latham Memorial Award from the Los Angeles County Bar Association Taxation Section in 1999.
Mr. Johnson was a frequent author and lecturer on tax, executive compensation and employee benefits subjects. He was inducted as a Fellow of both the American College of Tax Counsel and the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel. Mr. Johnson was repeatedly recognized by Chambers USA in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation category. He was also repeatedly listed in The Best Lawyers in America under Employee Benefits Law and Tax Law and was honored as a “Lawyer of the Year” in the area of employee benefits in the 2019 The Best Lawyers in America.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Johnson worked for the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division as a special assistant to the assistant attorney general and was an associate for Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton.
Community Service
Mr. Johnson serves on the Board of Directors and is Treasurer of the Housing Rights Center, which is California’s largest private, nonprofit organization dedicated to fair housing and combating housing discrimination. He founded or co-founded predecessor organizations in 1968 and 1969 and has served as Chair, President or a Director of nonprofit fair housing organizations for more than 55 years.
Mr. Johnson also serves on the Board of Directors and is past Chair of Justice in Aging. Its mission is to protect the rights of low income older adults and persons with disabilities, and it has offices in Los Angeles, Oakland and Washington, D.C. He previously served for ten years on the Professional Advisory Board of the Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Bar Foundation and on the Stanford Law School Board of Visitors.
Mr. Johnson served as the first Commissioner and was responsible for starting AYSO soccer for girls in the Hollywood, Los Feliz, Hancock Park, and Wilshire/Fairfax area of Los Angeles (Region 78) in 1977. He also coached AYSO soccer teams for boys and girls and Little League Baseball teams for many years.
Education
-
Stanford Law School (LL.B., 1964) Order of the Coif; note editor, Stanford Law Review, 1963-1964
-
Harvard University (B.A., 1961)
News
Community Service
Mr. Johnson serves on the Board of Directors and is Treasurer of the Housing Rights Center, which is California’s largest private, nonprofit organization dedicated to fair housing and combating housing discrimination. He founded or co-founded predecessor organizations in 1968 and 1969 and has served as Chair, President or a Director of nonprofit fair housing organizations for more than 55 years.
Mr. Johnson also serves on the Board of Directors and is past Chair of Justice in Aging. Its mission is to protect the rights of low income older adults and persons with disabilities, and it has offices in Los Angeles, Oakland and Washington, D.C. He previously served for ten years on the Professional Advisory Board of the Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Bar Foundation and on the Stanford Law School Board of Visitors.
Mr. Johnson served as the first Commissioner and was responsible for starting AYSO soccer for girls in the Hollywood, Los Feliz, Hancock Park, and Wilshire/Fairfax area of Los Angeles (Region 78) in 1977. He also coached AYSO soccer teams for boys and girls and Little League Baseball teams for many years.
Education
-
Stanford Law School (LL.B., 1964) Order of the Coif; note editor, Stanford Law Review, 1963-1964
-
Harvard University (B.A., 1961)