Michael J. Thomson Named 2024 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in the Boulder Area

Posted On August 17 2023 | Firm News

Boulder. CO, August 17, 2020 — Purvis Thomson, LLP attorney Michael J. Thomson was recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in the Boulder area.

Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this a significant and coveted accolade. These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments.

Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism and their integrity.

In addition to the “Lawyer of the Year” award, Michael J. Thomson was also listed in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the following practice areas:

  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs

For more than four decades, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the lawyers best qualified to represent them in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Lawyers are not required nor allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, recognition by Best Lawyers is considered a singular distinction.

About Michael J. Thomson

Mike Thomson joined Purvis Thomson, LLP in the fall of 2001. Since then, he has represented people injured as a result of the actions of others in a variety of civil lawsuits. Mike limits his practice entirely to representing injured persons against wrongdoers, insurance companies, and corporations. The majority of his cases involve either serious automobile and trucking accidents or complex litigation including product liability, civil rights violations, brain injury/spinal cord injuries and wrongful death. He was the lead attorney in separate wrongful death product liability actions against Taser International, Inc. and Daimler Trucks North America, Inc. He was lead counsel in a defective seatback case against Ford Motor Company in which the jury returned a verdict of more than $2.9 million in damages.

Mike Thomson’s practice has given him significant experience in Federal and State District Courts as well as Federal and State Appellate Courts. He is licensed to practice in Colorado state courts, Denver Federal District Court, 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States Supreme Court. His experience both before and after joining the firm gives him detailed knowledge of the operations of various governmental entities and the laws which govern the operations of such entities.

He grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, graduating from Elk Grove High School in 1984. He is the oldest of 10 children. He graduated from Central Michigan University in 1991 summa cum laude with a bachelor’s of science degree in accounting. His love for the mountains brought him to Boulder, Colorado where he attended law school. Mike Thomson graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1994. He is married to Teresa Steele Thomson, a principal in Denver Public Schools. They have six adult children and seven grand-children. He and his wife live in Denver. Mike regularly meets with clients in both Boulder and Denver offices for Purvis Thomson, LLP.

After graduating from law school, Mike worked as a political consultant in the state of Colorado for candidates for U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, State Legislature, District Attorney, and local school board. From January 1999 thru June 2000, Mike Thomson was the Director of Community Relations and Lobbyist for the Boulder Valley School District.

Mike has spent his entire legal career working with John Purvis. He worked with him as a law clerk while he was in law school and then returning to the firm as an associate attorney in 2001. He is honored to be part of a law firm that practices law with such distinction and integrity.

About Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected lawyer ranking service in the world. For 40 years, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the lawyers best qualified to represent them in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Best Lawyers awards are published in leading local, regional and national publications across the globe.

Lawyers who are nominated for consideration are voted on by currently recognized Best Lawyers working in the same practice area and located in the same geographic region. Our awards and recognitions are based purely on the feedback we receive from these top lawyers. Those who receive high peer reviews undergo a thorough verification process to make sure they are currently still in private practice. Only then can these top lawyers be recognized by Best Lawyers.