Mr. Thornton joined GrayRobinson as a shareholder in 2011, after a decade of complex employment, banking, and general commercial litigation practice with a large international law firm. He has significant trial experience in the state and federal courts, and represents many large institutional clients in varied labor and employment, banking, and general commercial litigation matters, with an emphasis on the following areas:

• Defense of race, age, gender, sex, pregnancy, religious, and disability discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation claims brought under Title VII and/or the Florida Civil Rights Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and federal and state "Whistleblower" statutes.
• Banking litigation, including UCC Art. III and IV and Fair Credit Billing Act claims; real estate litigation, mortgage fraud, title insurance disputes, commercial foreclosures; general contract disputes; right of publicity actions; defamation, civil theft, civil RICO and all other forms of fraud; and eminent domain/inverse condemnation.
• Prosecution and defense of civil trade secret theft claims, and claims involving non-competition agreements and other restrictive covenants.
• Defense of wage and hour claims brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act, including collective actions and retaliation.
• Defense of accessibility discrimination claims under Title III of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
• Enforcement and protection of music artist rights, including manager fraud and related disputes and litigation pertaining to artist publishing and co-publishing agreements; songwriter agreements; administration agreements; production agreements; management agreements; recording agreements; and distribution agreements

EDUCATION

• University of Tennessee, B.A. (Economics, 1990)
• Emory University School of Law, J.D. (2000)

BAR MEMBERSHIPS

• The Florida Bar
• Labor and Employment Law Section
• Entertainment Arts and Sport Law Section
• Trial Lawyers Section
• The District of Columbia Bar
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITIONS

• Top "Up & Comer" Attorney, "Florida's Legal Elite," Florida Trend Magazine, 2007
• Florida "Rising Star," Florida Super Lawyers Magazine, 2009
• South Florida Legal Guide, Top "Up & Comer," 2009, 2010, 2012-2013

PUBLICATIONS / NEWS MEDIA

• "Case Study: In Re Flexible Flyer," EmploymentLaw360, May 12, 2010
• "Suit Details Real-Life Drama," The Miami Herald, November 14, 2007
• "Lugar De Santeria Sirvio Para Preparar Complot Contra Estefano," El Nuevo Herald, February 14, 2008.
• "Song Writer's Death Plot Claim Is Called Fantasy," The Miami Herald, February 15, 2008.
• "Colombian Composer Estefano And Ex-Financial Manager Settle Theft Lawsuit," The International Herald Tribune, April 17, 2008.
• "Estefano Shooting Search for Motive Turns to Church," The Miami Herald, June 30, 2008.
• "Songwriter Estefano Tells How He Was Almost Killed," The Miami Herald, August 22, 2008.
• "The Shooting of Estefano," Miami New Times Magazine, May 6, 2008
• "Probe Of Estefano Shooting Looks Into Santeria Church," The Miami Herald, June 30, 2008.
• "New Lead in Estefano Shooting Case," Miami New Times Magazine, June 6, 2008.
• "Songwriter's Testimony Turns to Motive," The Miami Herald, August 28, 2008.
• "Not Guilty: Jury Acquits Man Accused in Estefano Shooting Case," The Miami Herald, August 28, 2008.
• "Were Estefano Jurors Under The 'CSI Effect?", The Miami Herald, August 29, 2008.
• "Sony/ATV In Deal for Estefano Works," Billboard Magazine, November 5, 2008.