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David  A.  Thornton

Memphis
P:(901) 543-5922
F:(866) 654-7417

Practices

Education
University of Tennessee - J.D., 1984
University of Tennessee - B.A., 1981

Court Admissions
U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Tennessee, 1984
U.S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit, 1984
U.S. Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit, 1984

Bar Admissions
Tennessee, 1984

Memberships
Memphis Bar Association (Treasurer, 1992 and Director, 1991, Young Lawyers Division)
Tennessee Bar Association (Member, Corporation and Business Law Section)
American Bar Association (Member, Business Law Section)

Honors & Distinctions
Listed in: The Best Lawyers in America®
Order of the Coif
Beta Gamma Sigma
Phi Eta Sigma
Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Alpha Delta
Golden Key
Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award in Family Law



David Thornton joined Bass, Berry & Sims in April of 2005 as a Member in the firm's Tax Practice Area.  David's specialized practice combines both litigation and business, and it involves ERISA, including defense litigation in ERISA benefit denial and fiduciary breach actions, corporate law, health law and commercial litigation.  His practice includes the representation of employers, plan fiduciaries, employees, third-party administrators, insurers and other providers of employee benefit plans and programs.  He has extensive experience in the design, implementation and administration of retirement plans, including pension, profit sharing, 401(k) plans and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), as well as other non-qualified plan alternatives.  One of the focuses of his practice is in the implementation and administration of health and welfare plans, including self-funded and fully insured health benefit plans, HIPAA and COBRA compliance, cafeteria plans and medical reimbursement plans.  He counsels clients with regard to compliance with Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor laws and regulations applicable to employee benefit plans, as well as the fiduciary responsibilities of employers and trustees of employee benefit plans.  Prior to joining the firm, David was a Member of Husch & Eppenberger, LLC, where his practice focused on employee benefits, benefits litigation, corporate and health law.

David received his B.S., with high honors, from the University of Tennessee and received his J.D., with high honors, from the University of Tennessee College of Law.  While in law school, David was elected to Order of the Coif and was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society.

A frequent lecturer, David also enjoys contributing articles to local publications about an assortment of employee benefit topics.  David is a member of the American, Tennessee and Memphis Bar Associations.  He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America®.

David is on the Board of Directors of the West Tennessee Branch of the Arthritis Foundation.