Attorneys at Law
Who We Are...
Thomas J. Butts
Arthur Johnson
Brett Johnson
Todd Johnson
Bill Dawson
Heather Harper
Karina Johnson
Thomas J. Butts
Education:
McGeorge Law School, University of the Pacific, 1978
B.A. Political Science, San Jose State University, 1975
Thomas J. Butts has been practicing workers compensation law in San Jose since 1980. He is a Certified Specialist: Workers Compensation Law, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Past President of the Santa Clara County Chapter of the California Applicants’
Attorney Association (CAAA), an association of attorneys who represent injured workers in California. He is also a member of WILG (Workplace Injury Litigation Group), a national association of attorneys who represent injured workers, and the Santa Clara County Bar Association. He represents injured workers primarily before the San Jose Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board and before the Office of Hearings and Appeals, Social Security Administration. Outside of the office, Tom is an avid triathlete having completed two Ironman distance races, as well as, finishing over 30 triathlons of various distances in the last five years.
Arthur Johnson
Education:
L.L.B. Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley, 1965
B.A. Political Science, San Jose State University, 1960
Experience:
Arthur Johnson is a certified specialist in workers’ compensation. Mr. Johnson took on his father’s law practice in 1965. He has a reputation in the community for being a strong advocate for injured workers. Besides being a specialist in workers’ compensation, his practice also involves the coordination of benefits for social security disability, long term disability, and state disability, so that his clients can receive all benefits to which they are entitled.
Mr. Johnson is a member of the California Applicant’s Attorneys Association (CAAA), the Santa Clara County Bar Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, California Trial Lawyers Association, and WILG (Workplace Injury Litigation Group).
Mr. Johnson is Past President of Santa Clara County Chapter for CAAA for 1991 to 1993, and continues to be very active within CAAA, serving on numerous committees, being the Co-Convention Chair for CAAA since 1995. He was voted Lawyer of the Year for 2003 in Santa Clara County by the Santa Clara County Bar Association.
Personal Matters:
Arthur Johnson is married and lives locally. He enjoys gardening, rock hunting, hiking, and riding horses. He has five children, four of whom are lawyers in his firm.
Brett Johnson
Education:
B.S. Biology 1991 from the University of California-Davis
JD 1997 Golden Gate University Law School
Experience:
Brett Johnson has represented injured workers' since 1997. The combination of a biology degree and a law degree provides an excellent foundation for representing complex workers' compensation injury claims. Mr. Johnson volunteers at the Santa Clara University Workers' Compensation Law Clinic and as a Pro Tem Judge at the San Jose Workers' Compensation Appeals Board.
Todd Johnson
Education:
B.A. Political Science 1989 from the University of California - Santa Barbara
JD 1992 Whittier College
Education:
J.D. Golden Gate University, School of Law, May 2004
B.S. University of California at Davis, Biological Sciences, with a Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior emphasis, Spanish Minor, June 2000
Experience:
Heather Harper represents injured workers for workers’ compensation and social security disability benefits. Heather is a member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association and the California Applicants’ Attorneys Association, and is admitted to practice in the State of California, and before the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Heather joined Butts & Johnson as a legal intern in 2001.
Personal Matters:
Heather is married and lives locally. She enjoys cooking, gardening, riding horses, and spending time with family and friends. Heather is a graduate of Golden Gate Law School and University of California, Davis.
Education:
Karina received her bachelors degree from California State University, Chico, with majors in Psychology and Social Science. She graduated from Cal Western Law School and is a member of the California State Bar.
Experience:
Karina has been a law clerk at Butts & Johnson on and off since college. During the Summer of 2003, she worked as a clerk in the Office of Philipe Hueso, an applicants' attorney in San Diego.
Personal Matters:
Karina enjoys cooking, surfing and spending time with her nieces and nephews.
