John P. Thyken is a partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP. His practice consists of a wide range of areas, including mass tort, consumer fraud, wrongful death, and other complex litigation.
John currently serves on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for the In re Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 Crash cases, venued in the Northern District of Illinois, arising from the crash of a defective Boeing 737 MAX commercial aircraft outside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in March 2019.
John has litigated claims against the Chevron Corporation for a refinery fire and toxic release, various actions against PG&E related to mismanagement of their electrical and gas utilities, and has obtained tens of millions of dollars in compensation for individuals harmed in complex personal injury actions.
Prior to joining CPM, John worked at a firm defending businesses and individuals in a variety of civil litigation actions. The experience provided John with valuable insight into defense and insurance strategies that he now uses to better serve plaintiffs seeking compensation.
John received his J.D. from Santa Clara University School of the Law where he was a member of the Dean's List and an Emery Merit Scholar. During law school, John advised indigent clients in areas of consumer protection and workers' rights at the Katharine and George Alexander Community Law Center. John was also a Comments Editor with Santa Clara University’s Journal of International Law and Vice President of the Santa Clara University chapter of Amnesty International.
John graduated cum laude from Santa Clara University, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Before attending law school, John spent two years teaching English overseas.
John has been recognized as a Northern California “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine. John is a member of the San Mateo and Santa Clara County Bar Associations, Consumer Attorneys of California, and San Mateo County Trial Lawyers
Representative Matters
John is part of the team representing families of victims of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash in an action in the Northern District of Illinois against the Boeing Company and key suppliers for their role in designing an automated flight control system susceptible to a single point of failure which caused the Boeing 737 MAX 8 to crash, killing all onboard.
John helped recover a $5 million settlement for the City of Richmond in an action against Chevron Corporation for a 2012 refinery fire and toxic release.
John obtained a seven-figure settlement for more than forty low-income tenants who lost their homes and possessions in a massive apartment building fire of unknown origin.
John obtained a seven-figure settlement for commercial tenants who lost their businesses in a gas explosion and fire.
John obtained a seven-figure settlement in a wrongful death action arising from a motorcycle vs. auto collision.
John obtained a seven-figure settlement in a case involving a pedestrian who sustained a traumatic brain injury after being struck in a crosswalk by a vehicle.
John obtained a high six-figure settlement in a medical malpractice action involving the improper transport of an elderly patient who sustained a fractured hip.
Honors & Recognitions
2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers
2026 Northern California Super Lawyers
2026 CLAY Award, California Lawyer Attorney of the Year
John has been recognized for the past three years as a Northern California “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine
In the News
05 Jul 2022
CPM Attorneys Selected to 2022 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars List
07 Jul 2021
17 CPM Attorneys Honored as Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
2019
CPM Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit and FAA Claim on Behalf of Young American Woman Killed in Boeing 737 MAX 8 Crash in Ethiopia
10 Dec 2018
CPM Files Series of Lawsuits on Behalf of Camp Fire Victims
10 Feb 2017
CPM Helps First Major Wave of Millennium Tower Individual Owners File Suit
Blog Posts
08 Dec 2019
Avoiding MICRA’s $250K Non-Economic Damages Cap
15 Mar 2017
An Address Like No Other – The Millennium Tower Litigation
AV Preeminent®: The highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies a large number of the lawyer’s peers rank him
or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.
Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely
respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.
