Timothy M. Thornton, Jr.

Partner

Timothy M. Thornton, Jr. is a partner with Gray, Duffy, Eisenbaum & Lee, LLP. With more than 25 years’ experience, Mr. Thornton provides legal counsel on insurance-related matters, such as construction defects, employment matters, mass torts, toxic torts and exposures, and environmental contamination. He also handles matters in insurance coverage of intellectual property, entertainment claims, cyber liability, and sexual abuse claims against religious and other entities.

Recognized by the legal community for his expertise and successes, Mr. Thornton has been named on the list of Southern California Super Lawyers since 2012; Best Lawyers in America© since 2011; as well as “AV” rated by his peers by Martindale-Hubbell. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel (ACCC), the preeminent association representing the interests of insurers and policyholders in disputes arising out of insurance policies.

Mr. Thornton obtained his Juris Doctorate degree in 1982 from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, and his Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in 1976.

Professional Affiliations

• Fellow – American College of Coverage Counsel
• Chair of the Self-Insurers and Risk Managers Committee – American Bar Association Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (ABA TIPS)
• Vice-Chair to the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee – ABA TIPS
• Vice-Chair to the Excess Surplus Lines and Reinsurance Committee – ABA TIPS
• General Committee Board Committee – ABA TIPS
• Section Conference Committee – ABA TIPS
• Book Publishing Board Committee – ABA TIPS
• The Brief Editorial Board Committee – ABA TIPS
• Association of Southern California Defense Counsel
• California State Bar
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• American Bar Association

Other Admissions

• Supreme Court of the United States
• Supreme Court of the State of California
• U.S. District Court, Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Circuits

Recognition and Awards

• Best Lawyers in America© 2011-Present
• Southern California Super Lawyers 2012-Present
• AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Articles and Publications

• “Delaware Supreme Court to Address Issues Regarding Satisfaction of Self-Insured Retentions”
  Published by: American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, Self-Insurers and Risk Managers
  Spring 2025

• “The Graves Amendment Defense for Renters of Motor Vehicles”
  Published by: International Risk Management Institute
  July 2024

• “Earning a Degree in Risk Management and Insurance at Cal State University, Northridge”
  Published by: American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, Self-Insurers and Risk Managers
  December 2023
  
  
• “The Tulsa Race Massacre and Use of “Riot” in Property Insurance Insuring Agreements”
  Published by: American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section
  February 2022

• “Vertical Exhaustion and Horizontal Exhaustion”
  Published by: American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section
  February 2022

• “Recent Developments in Excess, Surplus Lines, and Reinsurance Law”
  Published by: American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal
  Spring 2021

• “Recent Developments in Insurance Coverage Law”
  Published by: American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal
  Spring 2021

• “Intervention Denied to Seek Special Verdicts or Jury Interrogatories”
  Published by: American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section – Insurance Coverage Litigation
  Summer 2020

• “Recent Developments in Insurance Coverage”
  Published by: Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal
  Spring 2020

• “California Supreme Court Adopts a Vertical Exhaustion Approach”
  Published by: American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section – Excess, Surplus Lines And Reinsurance
  Spring 2020

• “Pure Captive Insurer Was Not in the “Business of Insurance” and So Not Subject to a State Unfair Claims Settlement Practices”
  Published by: American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section – Excess, Surplus Lines And Reinsurance
  Winter 2019

• “Syzygy Insurance – Another Microcaptive Does Not Meet the Test”
  Published by: American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Newsletter
  Winter 2019

• “Is Loss of a Business License or Permit a Loss of Use of Tangible Property?”
  Published by: American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Newsletter
  August 2019

• “Recent Developments in Insurance Coverage”
  Published by: American Bar Association in Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal
  August 2019

• “Mass Shootings and Insurance Coverage”
  Published by: International Risk Management Institute
  May 2019

• “Claims Handling Conflicts”
  Published by: American Bar Association TIPS Insurance Institute
  May 2019

• “‘Additional Insured Endorsements’ Can Shift Risk to Parties Not as Fault”
  Published by: Claims Journal
  April 2019

• “Pre-Suit Duties of Insurers and Policyholders: Differing Judicial Constructions”
  Published by: ABA TIPS 27th Annual Insurance Coverage Litigation Midyear Conference
  February 2019

• “Biometrics, Genetics, and Insurance Coverage”
  ABA TIPS TortSource: Vol. 20, No.3
  Spring 2018

• “A Captive Must Act Like an Insurer”
  Published by: ABA TIPS Committee News – Self Insurers & Risk Managers Committee Newsletter
  Spring 2018

• “A Tale of Two Refusals To Consent”
  Published by: ABA TIPS Excess, Surplus Lines And Reinsurance Committee Newsletter
  Fall 2017

• “Legalized Marijuana and Insurance Law”
  Published by: American Bar Association TIPS ICLC Committee Newsletter
  Spring 2017

• Co-Editor, Reasonable Expectations: Interpretign Insurance Policies in Common Law Jurisdictions
  American Bar Association, 2016

• “Allocation of Indemnity in Advertising Injury Intellectual Property Cases”
  Published by: The Brief, Volume 42, Number 4
  Summer 2013

• “Additional Insurance Procurement Issues”
  Published by: ABA TIPS Staff Counsel CommitteeNewsletter
  Fall 2012

• “The Duty to Give Notice to Excess Insurers”
  Published by: The Brief, Volume 41, Number 2
  Winter 2012

• “Patent Litigation and Advertising Injury Coverage”
  Published by: Risk & Insurance
  November 2011

• “Indemnity Ambiguity”
  Published by: Law360 Insurance and Securities

• “Is Liability Coverage for Negligent Hiring and Supervision No More?”
  Published by: Daily Journal
  August 2010