Jason J. Thompson

Shareholder
jthompson@sommerspc.com
toll free: 1-800-967-1234
phone: (248) 415-3206
fax: (248) 436-8453

Mr. Thompson is a nationally board certified trial attorney and he chairs the firm's Complex Litigation Department. He has a formidable breadth of experience in complex litigation, including class action and multidistrict litigation (MDL). He practices nationwide in both state and federal courts and is regularly appointed by courts to serve as lead counsel in class actions and MDLs.

Mr. Thompson has experience in a wide variety of cases, including defective pharmaceutical drugs and devices, consumer rights, RICO, employee rights (wage and hour violations), qui tam (False Claim Act and whistle blower cases), antitrust and environmental tort. He represents institutional clients, such as municipalities, healthcare plans and unions in complex business litigation, as well as individuals in personal injury and mass tort cases. Mr. Thompson has been asked to testify before the Michigan Legislature on Medicaid fraud qui tam bills and bills to repeal Michigan's drug product liability immunity law.

Mr. Thompson's current complex litigation cases include a large antitrust action against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and over twenty Michigan hospitals for adding 15-39% to patient bills; an $11.3 million nationwide wage and hour class action for dancers; representing over 850 sales people working in Tennesse, Nevada and Florida for timeshare giant Westgate for unpaid minimum wages and overtime; and many people injured by defective drug YAZ and defective Zimmer CR-Flex NextGen replacement knees and DePuy ASR hip devices. Mr. Thompson also represents consumers in insurance abuse cases against Allstate and Lawyers Title Insurance, consumer protection cases against Ford and AT&T, and wage and hour claims against Quicken.

Some of his Past cases include price-gouging claims and personal injury cases against the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Merck, Eli Lilly and Abbott. He has successfully prosecuted environmental tort cases on behalf of residents enduring the effects of chemical spills, air pollution and other adverse effects of large industry, including cases against companies such as National Steel, ATOFINA Chemical, Inc., Dow Chemical, Inc., and Waste Management, Inc. He has tried many successful personal injury and wrongful death cases, and in 2006 he tried the first Pacers-Piston's Brawl case arising out of the high-profile 2004 brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills, MI.

Education:
- Michigan State University College of Law, JD - cum laude
- University of Southern California, BA - Economics

Areas Of Practice:
- Class Action
- Multidistrict Litigation (MDL)
- Personal Injury

Bar Admissions:
- State of Michigan
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan
- 6th Circuit Court of Appeals

Experience:
Mr. Thompson has been appointed to leadership positions in a variety of complex litigation matters:
- Jackson's Five Star Catering, Inc v John R. Beason d/b/a Tax Connection World & Tax Connection Worldwide LLC
Co-lead Class Counsel
- Exclusively Veterinary Cats Hospital, P.C. v Anesthetic Vaporizer Services, Inc.
Co-lead Class Counsel
- Northstar Education Finance, Inc. Contract Litigation MDL No. 1990
Executive Committee
- Stanley vs. United States Steel Corporation
Lead Class Counsel
- Amgen Off Label Marketing Litigation MDL No 1934
Executive Committee
- In Re: Neurontin Sales and Marketing MDL No. 1629
Purchase Claims Committee
- In Re: Vioxx Sales and Marketing MDL No. 1657
Purchase Claims Committee
- In Re: Bextra/Celebrex Sales and Marketing MDL No. 1699
Purchase Claims Committee
- In Re: Tricor
TPP Allocation Counsel
- In Re: Zyprexa MDL No. 1596
Purchase Claims Committee
- Haase vs. Frank J. Bluestein, et al
Co-lead PSLRA Counsel
- Regina vs. Comcast of Detroit, Inc
Co-lead Class Counsel
- Snow v Atofina Chemical Inc
Co-class Counsel

Honors and Awards
- National Board of Trial Advocacy - Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer
- Michigan Super Lawyer - Class Actions - 2006-2011
- Michigan Lawyers Weekly "Up & Coming Lawyers" 2001

Published Works, Articles and Op Ed's:
- Wage and Hour Litigation - Employee Status by Jason Thompson Reprinted with permission from the February 2011 issue of the Michigan Bar Journal
- "Establishing Causation in an Ambient Air Quality Nuisance Action," American Association for Justice, Section on Toxic, Environmental & Pharmaceutical Torts, Vol. 16, No.1, Fall 2008
- "Corporate Misconduct Helps Fuel Lawsuits," Crain's Detroit Business, August 30 - September 5, 2005
- "Mass Tort Settlement Options in Class Actions and Multidistrict Litigation," Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Section on Toxic, Environmental & Pharmaceutical Torts, Vol. 10, No. 3, Spring 2003
- "Environmental Pollution: Today's Lawsuits Against Polluters Are Inducing Claims for Emotional Distress Damages," 82 Michigan State Bar Journal 30, 2002
- "As Is" Clause Holds Water Under the Michigan Underground Leaking Storage Tank Act, 1993 Det. C.L. Rev. 105
- "Note, Room for Sobriety Checkpoints Under the Fourth Amendment," 1991 Det. C.L. Rev. 859

Seminars/Presentations:
- Moderator, 2011 American Association for Justice Annual Convention, July 9-13 in New York, New York
- Speaker, 2011 The Ohio Association for Justice - "Wage and Hour Seminar"
- Speaker, 2010 Michigan Association for Justice New Lawyers Workshop - "Discovery Workshop"
- Moderator, 2010 Wage & Hour Litigation Group Educational Seminar, American Association for Justice Annual Convention
- Speaker, 2009 American Association for Justice Annual Convention - "Wage and Hour Litigation - Employee Status"
- Panel Member, 2007 Michigan Trial Lawyers Association Deposition Workshop
- Speaker, 2005 American Association for Justice, Annual Convention - "Obtaining Recovery for Identity Theft Victims"
- Speaker, 2005 Florida Justice Association - "Bringing Your Closing Argument to Life"
- Speaker, 2005 Michigan Trial Lawyers Association Rapid Fire Seminar - "New Ways to Succeed"
- Speaker, 2003 Product Liability and Personal Injury Law Conference, Kitzbühel, Austria - "Class Action and Multidistrict Litigation Settlements"
- Judge, 2002 Michigan State University - Detroit College of Law 3rd Annual National Trial Advocacy Competition
- Speaker, 2002 Michigan Trial Lawyers Association Seminar -"Mass Torts and Environmental Class Actions"
- Moderator, 2002 Michigan Trial Lawyers Association Rapid Fire Symposium - "Environmental Torts"
- Speaker, 1998 Michigan Trial Lawyers Association Rapid Fire Symposium - "EMS Cases"


Professional Organization
- The National Trial Lawyers
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- American Association for Justice
Co-Chair of Wage & Hour Litigation Group
Class Action Litigation Group
Section on Toxic Environmental and Pharmaceutical Torts
Employment Rights Section
-Michigan Association for Justice
Executive Committee 2003-2009




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