Johan Ellefsen Senior Partner

Johan brings extensive legal experience in litigation, corporate law, air disaster and aviation law, and immigration matters. He focuses on assisting entrepreneurs and corporate clients with cross-border legal issues in the United States and Latin America and has many years of experience working within these two different legal and cultural systems. Johan handles transactional and regulatory matters affecting corporations, including the aviation and aeronautics industries. His practice encompasses air disasters, class actions, and product liability cases.

Johan's litigation experience extends to international claims filed in the United States governed by the Warsaw Convention or the Montreal Convention. He was part of a team of Montoya Law, P.A. attorneys that investigated, negotiated, and settled the claims of 47 passengers arising from the crash of a commercial passenger jet in Bolivia in 2008. Johan and his co-counsel handled the representation of plaintiffs in a nationwide class against Google, Inc., stemming from the use of the ReCaptcha technology on various websites.

Johan formerly served as Clerk for Honorary William G. Young in the District Court for the District of Massachusetts, where he drafted opinions on various federal cases. As Clerk, he was the principal contributor to a decision featured in the New York Times for its defense of the jury system and two decisions on consumer protection violations, which the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly chose among the most critical decisions issued in 2012 and 2013 by the District Court.

Dedicated to making a positive impact beyond the legal realm, Johan extends his compassion by volunteering at the Woods-Mullen Shelter in Boston, MA serving meals to hundreds of individuals facing homelessness.

A man in a suit and tie standing up against a wall.
  • New York Bar, 2013
  • Ministerio de Justicia de Bolivia, 2015

Disclaimer: Under the rules of certain jurisdictions, this website may constitute Attorney Advertising. Admitted only in New York and Bolivia. Not admitted in Florida. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

  • New York Third Appellate Division, 2013
  • Boston University School of Law, Master of Laws (LL.M.)
  • Universidad Mayor de San Simón, Abogado, magna cum laude
  • Colegio Nacional de Abogados de Bolivia, 2013
  • Colegio de Abogados de Cochabamba, Bolivia, 2013
  • The Outstanding American Law Achievement Award, Boston University
  • Graduación por Excelencia Académica, Universidad Mayor de San Simón
  • In Re West Caribbean Airways, reported at 619 F. Supp.2d 1299 (S.D. Gla. 2007)
  • Book: ‘The Sacred Landscape: How the oldest landscape painting can help us understand the meaning of Paleolithic art and myths’ (New York, 2022)
  • Book: ‘Solon’s Atlantis. An Ugaritic Myth Found in Egypt’ (Boston, 2023)
    • The American Rock Art Research Association (ARARA) – Speaker (2022)
    • San Diego Rock Art Symposium – Speaker (2021)
    • English
    • Spanish
    • French