John Brusniak is the dean of Texas property tax litigation. He began practicing law in 1976. During his early career, he handled trial and appellate cases in federal and state courts. In 1981, he took on his first property tax matter. This was before appraisal districts first opened their doors. After a weeklong trial, a jury awarded his client, the owner of a major downtown office building, a substantial reduction in its property's taxes. The taxing authorities appealed the verdict to the Dallas Court of Civil Appeals, but the court ruled in favor of John's client. To emphasize their ruling, all of the court's justices signed the opinion. It was only the second time that the Dallas Court of Civil Appeals ruled in favor of a taxpayer in its 90-year history. At around the same time, appraisal districts were born, and John transitioned his law practice to focus exclusively on representing taxpayers with property tax problems. John was a partner in two of the largest law firms in Texas prior to starting his own law firm in 1992.
Over the years, John filed thousands of lawsuits in district courts across the state. Almost all of the cases settled, but a number required judge or jury determinations. He has handled over 45 appeals to the Courts of Appeals across Texas and three appeals to the Texas Supreme Court, all of which were successful. One case resulted in a portion of the Texas Tax Code being declared unconstitutional; a second case resulted in a portion of the Texas Tax Code being found constitutional, and the third case upheld rights of taxpayers to receive exemptions which had been denied. The second resulted in millions of dollars of tax refunds being made. John has a diverse client base. He represents local businesses, Fortune 100 companies, farmers and ranchers, owners of airplanes, railroads, trucking companies, car dealers, heavy equipment dealers, oil and gas operators and royalty owners, religious organizations, schools, hospitals and other exempt entities.
As a problem solver, John personally has hired and worked with lobbyists in Austin to make improvements for Texas property taxpayers. The amendments to the Tax Code he was responsible for enacting expanded taxpayer rights to correct unfair taxation and to make it easier for taxpayers to get relief. John has drafted many bills, spent thousands of hours meeting with members of the legislature and their staffs, negotiating changes to proposed legislation and testifying before legislative committees. He has also worked with clients and their lobbyists to make changes to the law.
John received an undergraduate degree in Accounting cum laude from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, completing his degree in three years. While there, he served in student government, included terms as Freshmen Class President and Student Body President. John received his juris doctor degree cum laude from The National Law Center of The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., completing the degree plan in two- and one-half years. In recognition of his scholastic abilities, he was admitted into the Order of the Coif (awarded to those who graduate in the top 10% of their class). He obtained a prestigious clerkship with the United States Claims Court in Washington, D.C.
John co-founded and developed the National Association of Property Tax Attorneys. He served as its President for more than 20 years. John works with lawyers from this group and many other fine property tax attorneys around the United States. John has been recognized for almost 20 years as a Texas Super Lawyer and as one of the Best Lawyers in America. Best Lawyers also recognized John as "Lawyer of the Year - Litigation and Controversy Tax Dallas/Fort Worth 2022." He has been honored with the Wayne Peveto award by the Real Estate Center of Texas A&M University “in recognition of outstanding contributions in the Texas property tax profession,” and with a lifetime achievement award from the Texas Oil and Gas Association “in recognition of [his] service and contribution in the field of property taxation in Texas.” John has served as the Chair of the Property Tax Committee of the Tax Section of the State Bar of Texas, the chair of the Property Tax Committee of the Real Property Committee of the American Bar Association, and the chair of the entire Tax Section of the State Bar of Texas. John serves on the board of directors of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association.
John has given hundreds of speeches and presentations on property tax matters and has written columns for decades on property tax matters for various sections of the State Bar of Texas. He has been interviewed on radio and television many times. He co-authors the Texas Tax Code Annotated with William Elliott and Professor Scott Morris. It is published annually by Thompson Reuters. He is also a co-author of the Texas chapter of the American Bar Association Property Tax Desk Book, and previously authored the Texas Property Tax Code Practice Insights which was published by LEXISNEXIS and Brusniak's Texas Property Tax Digest.
Outside his legal interests, John has had a passion for coaching youth baseball and softball and did so for 40 years. He taught CPR classes for the American Red Cross, served as a hospice volunteer with the Visiting Nurses Association, visited sick and elderly patients in hospitals and nursing homes, and has served on multiple church councils. John has six children and two grandchildren. He loves traveling, history and politics.
John blogs on property tax matters and regularly posts on his LinkedIn page.
John offers two informative newsletters to subscribers: "What Every Lawyer Should Know About Property Taxes" and "Taxing Matters." These publications serve as resources for legal professionals and anyone interested in staying informed about property tax developments.
"What Every Lawyer Should Know About Property Taxes" provides an in-depth explanation of the way the Texas property tax system's really functions. "Taxing Matters," delivers comprehensive updates on property tax legislation, case law, and other significant property tax actions.
Both newsletters are available free of charge, and subscribers have the flexibility to choose either one or both. Interested individuals can easily subscribe by visiting the law firm's Contact page. For those who wish to explore past issues, the firm's website conveniently offers an Updates link where all newsletters are accessible. These publications offer a wealth of knowledge, keeping readers well-informed about the intricacies of property taxes and related legal developments in Texas.
