A. Johnston Cox

Biography

A. Johnston Cox is a partner in the firm’s Columbia, South Carolina, office. He received his B.A. degree from Washington & Lee University in 1991 and his J.D. degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1995.

For the past 20 years, his practice has focused on insurance litigation, business litigation, commercial condemnation and personal injury matters. He has litigated cases in these areas as well as declaratory judgment and bad faith actions for various insurance industry clients in state and federal courts throughout South Carolina. He has tried over 45 cases to verdict.

Johnston has obtained an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America for insurance and personal injury law. He was recently honored by South Carolina Supers Lawyers, a Thomas Reuter publication, for business litigation.

Dedicated to the advancement of the legal profession, Johnston previously served as the national membership chair and is currently on the Executive Committee of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys.  He is also a past president of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association. Johnston is also a member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) and previously served on the faculty of the FDCC’s Litigation Management College, instructing claims adjusters and managers on practices and techniques to avoid bad faith claims handling.

Also dedicated to community improvement, Johnston has served various charitable organizations. He previously served as a board member of Senior Resources Inc., the Community Advisory Board for Home Works of America Inc. and currently as a member of the Board of Directors for  Home Works of America Inc. – a nonprofit organization enabling more than 38,000 youth and adult volunteers to repair homes for elderly, disabled or veteran homeowners across South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.

Education

Associations & Professional Memberships

• Association of Defense Trial Attorneys
  • Executive Committee
  • Past National Membership Chair
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
• Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC)
• Richland County Bar Association
• South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association (SCDTAA)
  • President (2019-2020)
  • Treasurer, (2017)
  • Secretary (2016)
  • Executive Committee

Honors & Awards

• Best Lawyers in America (2013 – 2025)
  • Insurance Law
    • Lawyer of the Year (2024)
  • Personal Injury Litigation: Defendants
• Columbia Business Monthly
  • Legal Elite: Personal Injury – Defendant (2020-2024)
    • Top Vote Winner (2023)
  • Legal Elite: Civil Litigation (2014)
  • Legal Elite: Insurance (2013, 2020-2024)
• South Carolina Super Lawyers – Business Litigation (2018 – 2024)

Community Involvement

• Home Works of America Inc., Board of Directors
• Rotary Club of the Vista Night, Past-President
• Senior Resources Inc., Past Board Member