Having a mentor, or a support network of other lawyers, can make all the difference when
it comes to establishing your own firm, says attorney Ryan Thompson, who founded his personal injury firm, Thompson Law LLP, in July 2017.
“My best advice to someone thinking about going out on their own is, in a sense, don’t try to do it by yourself,’ he says. “What I found in starting my practice is that it’s an absolute necessity to have a network of people you can turn to for advice, and that comes from being involved in the legal community:’
Thompson began his career practicing law in the Dallas offices for two international law firms. After gaining handson litigation experience, and accumulating an impressive record of wins, he accepted a partnership at the firm Watts Guerra LLP in 2009 and moved to San Antonio. There, Thompson focused his practice on cases involving catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, pharmaceutical injuries, and defective medical devices.
“Working with Mika] Watts showed me what good trial lawyers are and what I had to be if I wanted to be successful for my clients;• recalls Thompson of his time in San Antonio. “Mika] started his own firm at 29 years old, and went on to became one of the most successful trial lawyers in the country; so I saw firsthand the amount of diligent preparation and hard work that goes into achieving that success:
During his time practicing at Watts Guerra LLP, Thompson led complex litigations in state and federal courts throughout the country in leadership capacities, ultimately representing more than 100,000 individual clients from each of the 50 states. Not yet 40 years old, Thompson and his partners had already obtained more than $1.9 billion in net client recoveries-a feat few lawyers in the country achieve in their career. With the resulting resources, Thompson decided in 2017 to go out on his own; and, seeing an opportunity to make his mark in Dallas, he returned to the city where he started out.
“I knew my legal services had to be extremely personalized for what clients are looking for;’ Thompson says of starting his practice. “We’re a firm that’s here for the people of North Texas-meaning we put every available resource into our clients’ cases, no matter how daunting the time or expense. And we’re always willing to take a case to trial if it means getting justice for our clients:’
HONORS
- Texas Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- Texas Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers, Rising Star 2012, 2013, 2014
- Scene in SA, “Rising Stars,” 2011, 2012
- Scene in SA, “Best Lawyers,” Plaintiffs PI General 2010
- Scene in SA, “Best Lawyers,” Plaintiffs PI Product Liability 2010 – 2016
- Scene in SA, “Top Personal Injury Lawyers,” 2014, 2015, 2016
- Top 40 Under 40 Texas Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers, 2012, 2013, 2014
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- The College of the State Bar of Texas, 2007
- The Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas, 2005
- Hunton & Williams LLP Randolph Williams Award, 2004
- Order of Barristers, 2003