Lindsay Johnson Barrister of the Month:

Freund, Freeze, and Arnold

The Whole Package

When the shareholders at Freund, Freeze, and Arnold are evaluating attorneys to join their partnership, they ask whether or not the attorney is “the whole package.” Does this attorney have the client base, mentoring and management abilities, unsurpassed litigation skills and presence in the community to bring both tangible and intangible value to the firm? Shareholder Lindsay Johnson, does that and then some.

A native of Dayton, Lindsay grew up in Huber Heights and attended Wayne High School where she played varsity basketball. When it came time to choose a college, the decision was easy. “I went to undergrad here at the University of Dayton because I wanted to stay in the area and not venture too far from home when I was starting college. And actually my grandparents and dad attended UD so it is quite a legacy for our family. That was important to me too.” That turned out to be a fortuitous decision for Lindsay as not only did it set her up well for law school, but it is also where she met her husband, Ben.

After graduating from the University of Dayton, Lindsay and Ben both matriculated to The Ohio State University in Columbus, where Lindsay attended law school and Ben attended dental school. While attending OSU, Lindsay quickly decided that she wanted to be a trial lawyer. “I’m sort of an extroverted introvert and was very interested in trial work, I think it’s exciting. I liked the idea of advocating for people. I liked the idea of taking a problem and figuring out how I win. And I liked the strategy involved in trial law—the dynamic aspect of the practice and the ability to really strategize and come up with creative ways to present a case to a jury.” At the time, she was clerking for Frank Ray in Columbus but would be returning to Dayton after graduating from OSU. Frank, who knew that Lindsay wanted to be a trial lawyer, told her that if she was going to return to Dayton, then she had to work for Neil Freund, “the best trial lawyer in the state.”

When she arrived at Freund, Freeze & Arnold, Lindsay was not given much time to get acclimated, or even to unpack her new office. “The week I started, in 2004, my mentors Neil Freund and Susan Blasik-Miller were both in separate jury trials. I was not even officially licensed yet (these trials occurred in September and I was not sworn in until November) but I was pushed right in and tasked with assisting both Neil and Susan on their trials. That is one reason that I have been very blessed—and why I have stayed with and love my firm—because the experience that I gained immediately was amazing.”

With those first two trials under her belt, and after officially getting licensed in November 2004, Lindsay continued to develop her practice under the mentorship and guidance of both Neil and Susan. “I don’t ever remember sitting in my office and just doing paperwork. I was brought along, assigned to cases right off the bat, and taught how to be a trial lawyer from day one. So I was taking depositions quite early, doing a lot of appellate work, and basically learning from Neil and Susan how to work a case from the ground up in the best way.” That early experience laid a strong foundation for Lindsay’s current practice which focuses on professional liability defense. She represents a number of hospitals, physician practices, and medical providers as well as law firms and lawyers and enjoys working with highly educated, highly successful, and highly sophisticated clients.

Outside of the office, Lindsay is kept busy by both her community involvement and her family. She previously served on a number of boards, committees, and charitable foundations throughout the Miami Valley including the Associate Board of the Dayton Art Institute (where she and her husband, Ben, were honored to chair Oktoberfest in 2011), the Young Leaders’ Council of Goodwill Easter Seals, the

Fundraising and Development Committee for Dayton History, and the Dayton Children’s Women’s Board (having co-chaired cha|cha in 2017) And she is currently a member of the Hospice of Dayton Board of Trustees as well as the Dayton Children’s Foundation Board. On top of all that, Lindsay is the mother to three boys (aged 14, 10, and 7) and absolutely loves being a boy mom. “Our three boys keep us very busy, academically and with extra-curriculars. We also like going on family vacations, particularly ski trips. Our kids started young and they just absolutely love it.” So far those ski trips have been relatively local—mostly to Boyne Mountain Resort and Crystal Mountain in Michigan—but they hope to make it out west to Park City sometime soon. In the summer months, Lindsay and her family go anywhere and everywhere. “Our boys love adventures so we always go somewhere for spring break. The Cayman Islands is one of our favorite spots and we’re actually going there for spring break this year which is very exciting because it will be our first trip out of the country since COVID.”

As evidenced by her successful career, extensive community involvement, and active family life, Lindsay truly is the “whole package” and is eminently deserving of recognition as the Dayton Bar Association’s Barrister of the Month.

By Christopher Wolcott Esq. Taft Law CWolcott@taftlaw.com