Jennifer L. Thornton

Biography

Jennifer Thornton is celebrating her 20th anniversary at the firm where she focuses on complex commercial and personal injury cases and civil appellate work.

Jennifer has the unique experience of litigating as often on the plaintiff’s side as she does on the defense. She has represented clients of all types, from large corporations and utility companies to injured maritime workers and victims of toxic exposures. She has litigated, tried cases, and handled appeals in state and federal court in a wide range of matters, including business, landowner, intellectual property, and securities disputes, as well as toxic tort, products liability, and maritime personal injury actions. Her diverse experience, strong work ethic, and straightforward approach have earned her the trust and respect of clients, judges, colleagues, and opponents alike.

Jennifer was born and raised in Mississippi but knew she belonged in New Orleans when she began her undergraduate work at Tulane, where she graduated cum laude. She obtained a master’s degree in literature from Georgia State University and then returned to Tulane for law school. Jennifer graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, served on the Tulane Law Review, and earned awards for her scholastic performance and writing skills, including the Law Review Rufus C. Harris Law Review Award in Civil Law.

Jennifer came to the firm as an associate attorney in 2002 after completing a federal district court clerkship for Judge Carl J. Barbier, and before that, a Louisiana Supreme Court clerkship for Justice Catherine “Kitty” Kimball. Jennifer became a member of the firm in 2008.

Jennifer is frequent speaker and presenter at seminars on trial and appellate work, and she has been recognized multiple times by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and New Orleans Magazine’s Top Attorneys.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS AND SUCCESSES

Turbine Powered Technology, LLC v. Crowe, 330 So. 3d 1116 (La. App. 1 Cir. 10/7/21): Represented two defendants in an unfair trade practices and misappropriation of intellection property case and won an appeal of a trial court judgment against her clients;

Turbine Powered Technology, LLC v. Crowe, 2020 WL 4535795 (La. App. 1 Cir. 8/6/20): Represented same two parties in their role as plaintiffs in reconvention and obtained a reversal of the trial court’s interlocutory order denying them the right to amend their claims through a writ application;

Succession of Kirschman, 302 So. 3d 552 (La. App. 4 Cir. 7/2/20): Represented co-executor of large estate in obtaining a judgment from the trial court enforcing a settlement agreement with the other executor and successfully defended that judgment on appeal;

Billeaudeau v. Opelousas General Hospital Authority, 243 So. 3d 133 (La. App. 3 Cir. 4/18/18): Won an appeal on behalf of the plaintiffs in a medical malpractice and negligent credentialing case regarding insurance coverage for the plaintiffs’ claims;

• • • Recently obtained a summary judgment in the same matter against a different insurer on behalf of the plaintiffs regarding coverage for their negligent credentialing cause of action (2022);

Lakewood Property Owners’ Association v. Smith, 231 So. 3d 822 (La. App. 4 Cir. 11/22/17): Represented neighborhood association and homeowner in dispute over enforcement of building restrictions and property rights and won a judgment in her clients’ favor following a bench trial and successfully defended the trial court’s judgment on appeal;

Payton v. Entergy Corporation, Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, No. 2012-8368 (2017): Defended utility companies in a punitive class action following Hurricane Isaac and obtained a denial of class certification following a multi-day evidentiary hearing in the trial court;

Crosby Marine Transp., LLC v. Triton Diving Services, LLC, WDLA No. 13-2399 (2015): Represented a Jones Act seaman in a limitation of liability case tried to the Court and won a $1,912,063 judgment (matter settled for a confidential amount thereafter);

Thibodeaux v. Orsak, et al., WDLA No. 13-3258 (2015): Represented the injured plaintiff against a trucking company and driver and won a $4,340,271 jury verdict following a four-day jury trial (matter settled for a confidential amount thereafter);

Doe v. Louisiana Bd. of Ethics, 2014 WL 3583719 (La. App. 1 Cir. 7/21/14): Successfully argued to the trial court that document subpoenas issued by the Board of Ethics to her clients should be quashed and the Board’s investigative matter found to be untimely and obtained affirmance of the trial court on appeal.

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

Let the Ghoul Times Roll! The Essential Guide to Voir Dire, LSBA CLE (October 2022)

Ethics Guidance for Admiralty Practitioners, LSBA’s 27th Annual Admiralty Symposium (2021)

Is it a Writ or an Appeal: I’m So Confused, LSBA Trial Practice Seminar (2019)

Can Professionalism and Aggressive Lawyering Co-Exist, NOBA CLE (2019)

Professionalism: Lessons from a Survey of Lawyers about Lawyers, Tulane Law School CLE (2019)

Writ Practice: Avoiding Procedural Traps, LSBA Advanced Appellate Practice Seminar (2018)

Writ Practice: Herlitz, Writ-Grant Considerations, and Law of the Case, LSBA CLE (2017)

Accurate and Precise Brief Writing, LSBA Appellate Seminar (2016)

Common Ethical Issues Associated with Litigation, NOBA Matters of the Courtroom CLE (2016)

A Louisiana Primer on Judgments, Tulane Law School CLE (2015)

PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIL ACTIVITIES

Tulane Civil Litigation Pretrial Bootcamp, Faculty

Louisiana State Bar Association, Member

Federal Bar Association, Member

New Orleans Bar Association, Member