Bob Thornton

is a senior partner in King & Spalding’s Business Litigation Practice Group. He joined the firm in 1976.

Although having extensive experience as a civil litigator, his practice is focused primarily on the areas of shareholder claims, director and officer liability and insurance, securities, SEC and NASD investigations, audit committee and other internal investigations, consumer fraud class actions, professional liability, and legal ethics. He serves as the firm’s General Counsel.

Mr. Thornton has represented acquiring companies, acquired companies, controlling shareholders, minority shareholders, directors and officers, and special committees of directors in connection with shareholder class and derivative claims involving mergers and acquisitions, going private transactions, and other significant corporate events. He has defended a variety of shareholder class actions and related derivative suits alleging violations of the federal and state securities laws and related state law fiduciary claims. He has litigated such cases in various state and federal courts around the country, including the Delaware Court of Chancery. He has also defended one of the firm’s largest clients in a multitude of customer class actions filed in both federal and state courts around the country alleging misrepresentation in connection with retail sales of consumer products.

Mr. Thornton received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1976. He earned a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Princeton University in 1973.