Andrew M. Johnstone is Counsel in the Litigation Practice of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.
With a 25+ year legal career spanning litigation, labor and employment law, risk management, commercial, and corporate law, Andrew has excelled in handling complex legal challenges for large organizations. Serving most recently as Interim General Counsel and SVP / Associate General Counsel for one of America’s leading food distributors, he led a 75-member legal team, negotiated significant corporate and commercial transactions, managed a diverse litigation portfolio, quarterbacked the company’s response to COVID-19, and worked closely with the board and executive team. Prior to that, Andrew served as VP / Deputy General Counsel for one of country’s largest retailers, where he led a 50+ person team responsible for more than 10,000 matters representing billions of dollars in potential exposure across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Apart from and prior to his in-house experience, Andrew practiced litigation for more than 15 years, accumulating substantial first-chair trial and arbitration experience throughout the country. His expertise includes leading and mentoring large, high-performing teams, high-stakes litigation, class actions, labor and employment, regulatory compliance, and overseeing significant corporate acquisitions, including the seamless integration of multi-billion-dollar deals.