John M. Thomas
Member
John M. Thomas is a national leader in appellate and class action defense strategy. His superior legal knowledge, mastery of technical details, and long-term vision have delivered favorable outcomes in product liability, warranty, fraud, and consumer protection cases. His work has helped shape the class and collective action landscape.
A member of the firm's automotive and products liability group and head of the class action team, John is as much a legal scholar and industry advocate as a legal practitioner. He has appeared in state and federal courts across the country and has an impressive history of defeating class certifications, obtaining summary judgments, and creating records that have led to appellate victories for his clients. Ranked nationwide among top lawyers by Chambers USA 2023, clients note John is “a rare talent in class action litigation,” praising his skills as a “strategic thinker.”
John also advocates on behalf of the manufacturing industry to develop common law and judge-made law that is fair, balanced, and consistent with sound policies.
“I have devoted my career to developing strategies for continuously improving the law to make it fair and equitable for product manufacturers—both those I represent and the business community as a whole.”
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- University of Pittsburgh, J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
- University of Michigan, B.A., with distinction
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Bar Admissions
- Michigan, 1980
- California, 2009
- Missouri
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Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
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Named a Nationwide Leading Lawyer in Product Liability: Automobile by Chambers USA, 2021-2024
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Recognized by The Legal 500 United States as a Key Lawyer for Product Liability, Mass Tort And Class Action - Defense: Automotive/Transport, 2016-17 and 2022-2024; Transport: Rail and Road – Litigation, 2018
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Named a Michigan Leading Lawyer in the areas of Civil Appellate, Class Action/Mass Tort Defense and Products Liability Defense Law by the Leading Lawyers Network, 2014-2017
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Product Liability Advisory Council, Co-founder and Chair, 1985-1988; Case Selection Committee, 1985-present
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Areas of client focus
Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that the firm’s Automotive Product Liability…
Dykema Earns 16 Practice Area Rankings and 33 Individual Rankings in Chambers USA 2024
Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that it received 33 individual attorney…
Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that the firm’s Automotive Product Liability…
