North American Title Insurance Co. (NATIC) has appointed Leslie Johnson as vice president, regional underwriting counsel for Texas and Louisiana. She will assist Texas underwriting counsel Ginny Abiassi in providing legal and underwriting support to NATIC agents throughout those states.
“Leslie has extensive claims experience, working through curative matters and title issues for years,” said Valerie Jahn-Grandin, NATIC executive vice president and chief underwriting counsel. “Increasing our underwriting counsel support for our Texas and Louisiana agents will provide a seamless experience when a NATIC agent reaches out for assistance.”
For nearly a decade, Johnson practiced as an attorney with Winstead PC in Dallas in the commercial litigation practice group. There, she represented local, regional and national clients in complex commercial and business cases, including real estate, financial services and banking, and lending disputes. NATIC looked to Johnson for many title insurance claims matters during her tenure at the firm. She also served as a volunteer assistant district attorney for Dallas County, trying nine jury trials to verdict.
“In my previous role as outside legal counsel for NATIC and other title insurers and agents, I reviewed and analyzed transactions that sometimes ended in litigation,” Johnson said. “Looking at transactions from that vantage point has given me the skill and insight to more effectively identify and ultimately avoid issues that could become problems in the future. I look forward to bringing that experience and perspective to assist our NATIC agents in resolving issues to get transactions successfully to the closing table.”
A graduate of Texas A&M University and Tulane University Law School, Johnson was selected to participate in the 2016 Texas Land Title Association Alex H. Halff Leadership Academy and was recognized as a Texas Rising Star in 2016 and 2017. She has spoken at the Texas Land Title Institute and the Texas Association of Bank Counsel. She also authored a chapter in the Texas Foreclosure Manual.