Michael Thornton

Michael P. Thornton, founder and chair of Thornton Law Firm LLP, is a nationally recognized expert in toxic tort litigation. He earned his degrees from Dartmouth College and Vanderbilt Law School. Beginning in the 1970s, Mr. Thornton successfully represented shipyard and construction workers suffering from asbestos-related diseases. Under his leadership, the firm has grown to be the largest in the Northeast dedicated to representing victims of asbestos and other toxic materials.

Thornton Law Firm LLP has achieved justice for workers affected by cancer and health issues due to exposure to chemicals, defective drugs, and products. The firm has also advocated for children with birth defects linked to parental exposure to harmful chemicals and pesticides. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, alongside other states and local governments, has sought the firm's expertise in addressing public health threats, leading to multi-million dollar recoveries from tobacco companies.

Mr. Thornton has guided the firm's support for numerous charitable causes, with a significant focus on cancer research. He collaborated with clinicians and researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital to study mesothelioma, a previously untreatable asbestos-related cancer. Through a multiyear commitment from his firm and other recruited donors, the program launched in 2002 has significantly advanced cancer research and improved mesothelioma treatment, enhancing survival rates and quality of life for patients.

In response to the financial burdens faced by families of mesothelioma victims, Mr. Thornton helped establish the Thornton House in 2008, providing accommodations for up to nine families at a time. He is admitted to the bar in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.