Thompson Hine LLP

Thompson Hine LLP
Name	Thompson Hine LLP
Headquarters	Cleveland, Ohio
Founded	1911
Num offices	10
Num attorneys	600+
Key people	Robert Stein, Michael Gregorio
Practice areas	Corporate, Litigation, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Real Estate, Regulatory

Thompson Hine LLP is a large American law firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio with a national presence and international practice. The firm provides transactional, litigation, regulatory, and intellectual property services to corporate clients, financial institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Its work spans mergers and acquisitions, securities, antitrust, privacy, and commercial litigation matters across multiple industries.

History

Founded in 1911 in Cleveland, Ohio, the firm evolved through a series of mergers and expansions during the 20th and 21st centuries. Early leaders in the firm engaged with clients involved in the Standard Oil breakup era, regional manufacturing enterprises, and emerging railroad and steel concerns. Over decades the firm merged with and absorbed practices that had handled matters tied to the New Deal, Securities Act of 1933, and postwar corporate restructurings. In the 1990s and 2000s the firm expanded nationally, opening offices to serve clients in markets associated with New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The firm has represented parties in matters involving major corporations such as General Electric, Procter & Gamble, Ford Motor Company, and multinational banks like JPMorgan Chase, integrating practices experienced with Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act-era regulatory work and Sarbanes–Oxley Act compliance.

Practice areas

The firm’s transactional practice covers mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and capital markets, advising sponsors, issuers, and underwriters in deals connected to NASDAQ, New York Stock Exchange, and cross-border transactions involving jurisdictions such as United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada. Its litigation group handles commercial disputes, securities litigation, antitrust litigation, and appellate matters before forums including the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and state supreme courts like the Ohio Supreme Court. The intellectual property practice manages patent prosecution, trademark counseling, and IP litigation before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the United States International Trade Commission, representing clients in technology sectors tied to companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Apple Inc., and IBM. Labor and employment lawyers counsel employers on matters involving the National Labor Relations Board and employment litigation in federal courts; regulatory teams advise on healthcare and life sciences issues involving the Food and Drug Administration and reimbursement matters touching Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Real estate and tax practices handle financing, development, and tax structuring for clients like investment funds associated with BlackRock and The Blackstone Group.

Offices and locations

The firm maintains offices in major U.S. business and legal centers, aligning with markets that include New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, Charlotte, North Carolina, and others. International work is supported by alliances and client relationships in financial centers such as London, Frankfurt, and Toronto, enabling cross-border matters involving multinational corporations and sovereign entities.

Notable attorneys and alumni

Alumni have moved between the firm and public service roles in institutions including the United States Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and state attorney general offices. Former partners and counsels have held positions at federal agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and at corporate boards of firms such as ExxonMobil and Cleveland Clinic. Several alumni have served as federal judges on district courts and appeals courts, and in legislative staffs in United States Senate and United States House of Representatives offices. The firm’s alumni network includes leaders who later joined multinational law firms, academic institutions like Harvard Law School and Yale Law School, and think tanks such as the Brookings Institution.

Pro bono and community involvement

The firm supports pro bono initiatives focused on civil legal aid, veterans’ services, and nonprofit governance, partnering with organizations such as Legal Aid Society, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and regional bar associations. Community engagement includes board service and volunteerism with healthcare systems like Cleveland Clinic and educational institutions such as Case Western Reserve University, and support for civic organizations including United Way and regional chambers of commerce.

Recognition and rankings

The firm has received accolades in national rankings from publications and organizations including The American Lawyer, Chambers and Partners, U.S. News & World Report, and Law360. Practice-specific recognitions have come in areas like antitrust, intellectual property, labor and employment, and corporate M&A, with firm attorneys listed in directories such as Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers.

Corporate structure and governance

Operated as a limited liability partnership, the firm’s governance comprises an executive committee and practice group leaders responsible for strategic decisions, risk management, and client development. Compensation and partnership structures align with market practices for large national firms, and internal compliance programs address ethics, conflicts of interest, and regulatory obligations referenced by institutions such as the American Bar Association and state bars like the Ohio State Bar Association.

Category:Law firms of the United States