A third generation Montanan, Erika L. Johnson enjoys serving the diverse legal needs of the people of her beloved state.  Erika brings a breadth of litigation and transactional experience to Worden Thane.  Her early career was heavily focused in general civil litigation, as she successfully argued (and prevailed) in many cases at the district and appellate levels.  In 2002, she received the Montana State Bar’s George F. Bousliman Professionalism Award, along with her late father, Jim Johnson, for their joint efforts in improving access to justice among our most vulnerable populations.

Erika now brings to the foreground specialties in complex estate planning, trusts, probate, elder law & special needs planning, business formation & structure, asset protection strategies, commercial transactions, family business succession, real estate development, complex real estate transactions, tax planning, and the intersection of those specialties.  She truly enjoys assisting her clients with the important legal matters, puzzles, and decisions that occur across the lifespan of individuals, families, and businesses, from start-up phase, through expansion and growth, to succession and legacy planning.

During law school, Erika was co-editor of the Public Land and Resources Law Review, a member of the UM Law Negotiations Team, and upon graduation, served as a judicial clerk for the Montana Supreme Court, our state’s highest appellate court.  Erika is a current member of the Montana State Bar and its BETTR Section (Business, Estates, Trusts, Tax and Real Estate).

Erika was born in Great Falls but left the windy city at age nine with her family to live in Kalispell where she grew up an avid skier, hiker, raft guide, and adventure seeker, having survived the dangerous landscape of scooping ice cream for Glacier Park tourists.  Erika left Montana to pursue a B.A. in Economics from Willamette University in Oregon and completed that school’s Pacific Rim study abroad program to China, S. Korea, and Japan.  She took a detour to trek the Himalayas before finally landing in Missoula to study law where she obtained her J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law.  Although a true Grizzly at heart, Erika may be seen on occasion dipping her toe into Bobcat Country when visiting her daughter who proudly attends Montana State University.

Outside of her law practice, Erika has given her time and resources to her community as co-founder of a nonprofit Bridges Autism Advocacy Group, past board member of Center for Restorative Youth Justice, and current board member of the Supervisory Committee of the Whitefish Credit Union.  Outside of her work, Erika enjoys spending time with her family, music, traveling the world, and enjoying the wilds of Montana by foot, pedal, or paddle.