Patrick Thronson

Partner

Practice Areas:

• Birth Injury
• Medical Malpractice
• Personal Injury

Patrick Thronson, partner at WVFK&N, has specialized in representing children and families harmed by negligent healthcare throughout his entire legal career. He and his team members have recovered tens of millions of dollars for those hurt by medical malpractice, sexual abuse, and other life-altering injuries. Patrick’s skills as a trial lawyer have been nationally recognized, including by the National Trial Lawyers (which named him one of the top 25 Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Maryland), and by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers®. Some of his cases have gained substantial media attention, including from NBC News, the Associated Press, the Washington Post, and other local and national media organizations.

Patrick is also an experienced appellate advocate. He has presented written and oral arguments to the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third and Fourth Circuits and to state appellate courts. He has also represented clients before the United States Supreme Court, where he has authored or co-authored briefs on multiple occasions.

Patrick’s advocacy for injured and disadvantaged people goes beyond the courtroom. He has served the Maryland Association of Justice (MAJ) in a variety of capacities, including positions in the Board of Governors and Executive Committee. On behalf of MAJ, he has testified numerous times before the Maryland General Assembly to advocate for fair treatment for injured and disabled Marylanders.

Patrick maintains an active pro bono practice, where he fights to protect the rights of those who have suffered serious harm. This has included securing asylum for a child who was forced to flee her home after experiencing violence, securing permanent residency for a survivor of human trafficking, and reversing a wrongful conviction.

Awards and Memberships:

• National Trial Lawyers Top 25 – Medical Malpractice
• The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 – Civil Plaintiff
• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, Recognized since 2023
• Super Lawyers® member (Maryland), 2024-Present
• Super Lawyers® Rising Star (Maryland), 2021-2023
• Board of Governors and Executive Committee, Maryland Association for Justice
• Member, American Association for Justice
• Life Fellow, American Bar Foundation

Why did Patrick join the WVFK&N Team?

“Medical malpractice cases, particularly those involving birth-related injuries, are among the most challenging and rewarding cases to litigate. Negligent health care is a public health crisis that all too often affects those who have faced difficult, unfair life circumstances, including inadequate access to quality care, limited assets, or discrimination based on gender, race, or disability. For me, helping our clients and their families rebuild their lives and plan for a secure future, while working alongside the unbelievably accomplished and dedicated attorneys and staff at WVFK&N, is the definition of a fulfilling legal career.”

Education

• University of Michigan, J.D., 2013
• Harvard University, B.A. (philosophy, magna cum laude), 2005

Bar Admissions:

• Maryland
• Illinois
• Minnesota
• United States District Courts for the Districts of Maryland and Minnesota and the Northern District of Illinois
• United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fourth, and Sixth Circuits
• United States Supreme Court

Publications

• “How Greater Use of Issue Class Certification Can Bring Justice to Plaintiffs,” Reuters (Nov. 2021) (with Brent Ceryes)
• “Too Destructive to Ignore: Facing and Addressing the Crisis in Attorney Well-Being,” Trial Reporter (Spring 2020)
• “Recovering Emotional Distress Damages Absent Bodily Injury,” Trial Reporter (Fall 2019)
• “The Alarming Increase in Maternal Mortality in the United States and Its Disproportionate Impact on People of Color and People Living in Poverty,” Trial Reporter (Special Issue 2019)
• “The Coming Assault on Access to Justice for Federally Insured Victims of Medical Errors,” Trial Reporter (Special Issue 2018)
• “Continued Presence: New Immigration Relief for Victims of Human Trafficking Pursuing Civil Actions,” Trial Reporter (Fall 2017)
• “Rising Seas, Rising Suits: Juliana v. United States and Emerging Liability for Carbon Pollution,” Trial Reporter (Fall 2016)
• “Offers of Judgment under Maryland and Federal Law: Carrots and Sticks in Prodding Settlement,” Trial Reporter (Summer 2016)
• “Gold Mine or Fool’s Gold? Assessing Audit Trail Integrity,” AAJ Professional Negligence Newsletter (Jan. 2015)
• ““Homeward” Bound? Recent Supreme Court Decisions on Personal Jurisdiction,” Trial Reporter (Special Issue 2015)
• “Achieving Climate Protection: Fostering an Essential Focus on Human Rights and Human Impacts,” 27 NOTRE DAME J.L. ETHICS & PUB. POLICY 3, 3 (2013) (with Rocky Anderson)
• “Toward Comprehensive Reform of America’s Emergency Law Regime,” 46 U. MICH. J.L. REFORM 349, 737 (2013)

Presentations:

• “Rule 23(c)(4) Issue Classes,” Impact Fund Class Action Forum, San Francisco, 2024 (with Prof. Myriam Gilles and Nina Gliozzo)
• “Class Certification in Injury Cases,” Mass Torts Made Perfect, Las Vegas, 2022 (with Brent Ceryes)
• Medical Records and Audit Trails: Gold Mine or Fool’s Gold?, Utah Association for Justice Annual Convention (2020) (with Charles Thronson)
• Achieving Climate Protection: Fostering an Essential Focus on Human Rights and Human Impacts, Notre Dame Symposium for Green Technology and Infrastructure (2013) (with Rocky Anderson)