Thompson Hine

Thompson Hine
Name	Thompson Hine LLP
Founded	1997
Headquarters	Cleveland, Ohio
Attorneys	~450
Practice areas	Corporate, Litigation, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Real Estate
Key people	J. Mark Gorton, CEO

Thompson Hine is a United States-based law firm known for its corporate transactional, litigation, and regulatory practices. Founded through a merger in the late 20th century, the firm serves clients across sectors including Banking, Energy and Pharmaceutical Industry, representing corporations, financial institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Thompson Hine has advised on matters involving multinational corporations, regulatory agencies, and public companies traded on exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.

History

Thompson Hine traces its origins to predecessor firms whose antecedents include Cleveland and New York practices that represented clients in matters before the United States Supreme Court, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and federal courts in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The modern firm was formed by a merger in 1997 and expanded through strategic lateral growth and combinations that linked offices in cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.. Over time the firm recruited partners from firms including Jones Day, Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and Latham & Watkins to bolster capabilities in Mergers and Acquisitions, Antitrust Law, and Intellectual Property litigation. Thompson Hine has participated in high-profile matters involving regulatory frameworks like the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and enforcement actions by agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission.

Practice Areas

Thompson Hine's core practices cover corporate law disciplines and sector-focused specialties. The firm's transactional teams advise on Mergers and Acquisitions deals, cross-border transactions involving jurisdictions like the European Union and Canada, leveraged buyouts alongside private equity sponsors such as The Carlyle Group and KKR, and debt financings with banks including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America. Its litigation and regulatory practice handles antitrust matters before the Antitrust Division (United States Department of Justice), securities litigation involving the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and appellate work before circuits including the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Intellectual property attorneys litigate patent disputes in venues such as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and handle trademark matters before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The firm also fields teams for labor and employment matters in forums including the National Labor Relations Board, real estate transactions involving REITs listed on the NYSE, and environmental compliance tied to statutes like the Clean Air Act.

Offices and Global Presence

Thompson Hine maintains a U.S.-focused office network with hubs in metropolitan markets and client-facing teams positioned for cross-border engagements. Offices have been established in cities such as Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, and Atlanta, allowing collaboration with in-house counsel at multinational firms including General Electric, Procter & Gamble, Cleveland Clinic, and Sherwin-Williams. For international matters the firm coordinates with global law firms in regions including the European Union, United Kingdom, and Asia, and routinely works alongside counsel at institutions such as the World Bank and multinational banks like HSBC.

Notable Cases and Transactions

Thompson Hine has represented parties in significant corporate transactions and litigation. The firm has counseled public companies through IPOs on NASDAQ and negotiated mergers involving strategic buyers such as IBM and Microsoft in technology-intensive deals. In antitrust litigation, Thompson Hine teams have defended clients in matters implicating the Sherman Antitrust Act and regulatory inquiries by the Federal Trade Commission. The firm has also led environmental remediation and brownfield redevelopment transactions involving state agencies and industrial clients, and handled complex Chapter 11 reorganizations in bankruptcy courts overseen by judges in the Southern District of New York. Its intellectual property litigators have represented plaintiffs and defendants in patent portfolio disputes that implicated standards-setting organizations like IEEE.

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

Thompson Hine maintains an active pro bono program partnering with legal services organizations such as Legal Aid Society, civil rights groups including NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and public interest foundations. Attorneys at the firm have provided representation in matters ranging from immigration relief before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to voting rights litigation in coordination with election law advocates and nonprofit groups. The firm supports civic institutions like the Cleveland Museum of Art, health systems such as Cleveland Clinic, and educational institutions including Case Western Reserve University through volunteer programs, board service, and sponsored clinics.

Awards and Recognition

Thompson Hine has received industry recognition in rankings and awards from organizations such as Chambers and Partners, The American Lawyer, and U.S. News & World Report for practice-area strength and workplace initiatives. The firm and individual attorneys have been listed in Best Lawyers in America and recognized by the Human Rights Campaign for diversity and inclusion efforts. Its corporate practice has been acknowledged in league tables compiled by Refinitiv and legal directories tracking M&A and capital markets activity.

Category:Law firms of the United States