Mr. James C. Thornton

Open for Business
Mr. James C. Thornton: Attorney with Cranfill Sumner LLP
Attorney Awards
  • Martindale-Hubbell Peer AV Preeminent Rating
About Attorney Awards

Biography

James Thornton is Of Counsel at the Raleigh office of Cranfill Sumner. He has been a litigation attorney since 1989 and has been involved in litigation in a broad range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotechnology, consumer products, health care, trucking and transportation, waste management, public utilities, public accounting firms and municipalities. James has also served as local or regional counsel in product liability and mass tort litigation, including class action and multidistrict proceedings.

James’ current practice focuses on commercial litigation with an emphasis in commercial disputes, product liability and mass tort defense. He has significant experience in serious personal injury and wrongful death defense; defending municipalities and their law enforcement officers; and trucking and transportation defense. In addition, he also has experience defending against claims of alleged clergy misconduct.

He has been recognized by American Lawyer magazine as a 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Mass Torts Law and maintains an AV rating with Martindale- Hubbell. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kentucky.

Thornton is an active member of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys (NCADA), Defense Research Institute, and the North Carolina Bar Association. He formerly served on the Board of Directors of Artspace, as well as the Wake County Bar Association Board of Directors.

Articles, Presentations, and Publications

•Public Duty Doctrine - Alive and Well in North Carolina
•Sovereign Immunity defense - not so fast!

Accomplishments

•Martindale-Hubbell, AV Rated
•Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants (2024 - 2026) and Litigation - Municipal (2026)
•Recognized by American Lawyer magazine as a 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Mass Torts Law

Most Recent Posts

News

33 CSH Law Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2026

Thirty-three attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2026....

News

32 CSH Law Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2025

Thirty-two attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2025....

News

32 CSH Law Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2024

Thirty-two attorneys from Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2024....

Result

James Thornton Defends NC County in Jury Trial

James Thornton (Raleigh) and Zack Anstett (Raleigh) successfully* defended a North Carolina county and an employee for the county in a multi-day jury trial. The Plaintiff was rear-ended in her vehicle and alleged that the car had essentially been totaled. ...

News

James Thornton Presents at NCADA Winter Workshop

James Thornton, an attorney in the Raleigh office of Cranfill Sumner, spoke recently at the 2017 Winter Workshop of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys....

Post

Supreme Court Broadens Protection of Qualified Immunity to Police Officers in Excessive Force Cases

42 U.S.C. 1983 Case Law Update: Mullenix v. Luna, 136 S. Ct 305 (2015) Police officers are too often...

Post

US Supreme Court Makes it Easier to Bring Claims Against Police Officers

Last week, in Kingsley v. Hendrickson, the United States Supreme Court changed the law in the 4th Circuit, which includes...

Post

NC Legislature Grapples with Release of Police Officer Videos

The North Carolina General Assembly is currently considering legislation that would give law enforcement agencies the authority to release video...

Post

The Rest of the Story: Search for the Truth in Use of Force Cases

The late radio personality Paul Harvey had a famous show called “The Rest of the Story.” Harvey would bait his...

News

Thornton Joins Cranfill Sumner LLP

James Thornton has joined the Cranfill Sumner LLP firm in an Of Counsel position based in its Raleigh office....

See more ›

Areas of Practice (5)

  • Business Disputes & Litigation
  • Municipalities & Public Entities
  • Product Liability
  • Professional Liability
  • Trucking & Commercial Transportation

Education & Credentials

Mailing Address:
PO Box 27808, Raleigh, NC 27607
University Attended:
University of Kentucky, B.S., 1986
Law School Attended:
University of Kentucky College of Law, J.D., 1989
Year of First Admission:
1989
Admission:
1989, North Carolina; U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; United States Supreme Court
Memberships:

Community Involvement

•DRI, Member
•NCBA, Member
•NCADA, Member
•Artspace, Board of Directors (2010-2011)
•Wake County Bar Association, Board of Directors (2007-2008)

Birth Information:
Huntington, West Virginia, 1964
Reported Cases:
Representative Matters: Cases or matters referenced do not represent the attorney's entire record. Each case is unique and must be evaluated on its own merits. The outcome of a particular case cannot be predicated upon a lawyer's or a law firm's past results.; James Thornton (Raleigh) successfully defended a North Carolina county and an employee for the county in a multi-day jury trial. The Plaintiff was rear-ended in her vehicle and alleged that the car had essentially been totaled. This was a damages-only case where liability had already been admitted. One of the first jury trials in North Carolina post-pandemic, Thornton was able to successfully argue that the Plaintiff's damages were not as high as alleged. The jury returned a verdict with the damages nearly cut in half.; Represented a Research Triangle Park biotechnology research institute in multidistrict litigation pending in the Southern District of New York. The litigation involved the carcinogenic effect of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE - a gasoline additive) in drinking water. In Re: Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1358 (S.D.N.Y.).; Served as regional counsel for a pharmaceutical company in mass tort litigation involving the prescription drug Reglan and generic metoclopramide. Nance, et. al. v. Wyeth, LLC et. al., 1:13-CV-00226-JAB, United States District Court, Middle District of North Carolina.; Lead counsel in complex commercial lawsuit in the Middle District of North Carolina involving over 100 North Carolina poultry farmers against a Ukrainian owned chicken processing company. John Benton, et. al. v. Omtron USA, LLC, No. 1:11-CV-840, United States District Court, Middle District of North Carolina.; Prevailed as lead counsel for the City of Fayetteville in multiple Section 1983 lawsuits pending the Eastern District of North Carolina alleging excessive use of force by police officers. McDonald v. Suggs, City of Fayetteville, et. al., No. 5:07-CV-339-D, United States District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina.; Served as regional counsel in multidistrict litigation for the manufacturer of an insulin pump that was linked to episodes of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia in diabetes patients. Morton et. al. v. F. Hoffman-LaRoche, LTD et. al., 7:05-CV-00199-FL, United States District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina.; *Cases or matters referenced do not represent the attorney's entire record. Each case is unique and must be evaluated on its own merits. The outcome of a particular case cannot be predicated upon a lawyer's or a law firm's past results.;
ISLN:
903154831

Payment Information

Credit Cards Accepted
MasterCard, Visa

Peer Reviews

5.0/5.0 (2 reviews)
Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent Rating Badge

  • Legal Knowledge

    5.0/5.0

  • Analytical Capability

    5.0/5.0

  • Judgment

    5.0/5.0

  • Communication

    5.0/5.0

  • Legal Experience

    5.0/5.0
Peer reviews submitted prior to 2008 are not displayed.

Client Reviews Write a Review

Location

Contact Mr. James C. Thornton

Contact Information:

919-863-3459  Fax

www.cshlaw.com

Required Fields

Required Fields

Clear All Fields

By clicking on the "Submit" button, you agree to the Terms of Use, Supplemental Terms and Privacy Policy. You also consent to be contacted at the phone number you provided, including by autodials, text messages and/or pre-recorded calls, from Martindale and its affiliates and from or on behalf of attorneys you request or contact through this site. Consent is not a condition of purchase.

You should not send any sensitive or confidential information through this site. Emails sent through this site do not create an attorney-client relationship and may not be treated as privileged or confidential. The lawyer or law firm you are contacting is not required to, and may choose not to, accept you as a client. The Internet is not necessarily secure and emails sent though this site could be intercepted or read by third parties.