Daniel F. Thornton

Daniel F. Thornton represents employers in workplace law matters, including preventive counseling and litigation avoidance. He has defended a wide range of employment law claims, including harassment, discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower, and wage-and-hour actions, and has first-chair deposition and trial experience.

Dan recognizes that each client has particularized needs that vary based on their regulatory environment, business requirements, and stakeholders involved. He strives to become an extension of his client’s team and anticipate needs before they arise. Dan’s experience includes counseling clients, drafting policies and employee handbooks, conducting internal investigations, managing discovery, taking and defending depositions, and arguing motions and appeals.

In past practice, Dan assisted a medical facility in obtaining dismissal of a nurse’s harassment claims and helped a large professional-services employer obtain summary judgment against all claims raised in an age- and race-discrimination action.

Prior to entering private practice, Dan spent several years as a deputy attorney general with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, where he dove head-first into employment law and never looked back. In this role, he represented New Jersey in litigation involving discrimination, retaliation, employee benefits, and a putative breach-of-contract class action, among other matters, and briefed numerous appeals before the New Jersey Appellate Division and Supreme Court. During the 2014-2015 court term, Dan clerked for the Honorable Carmen H. Alvarez, Presiding Judge of the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division.

Outside of law practice, Dan uses his background as a professional pianist in his service as music leader for Covenant Presbyterian Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He is working to expand his musical horizons by learning the guitar.

Honors and Recognitions

• The Best Lawyers in America©, “Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management" and "Ones to Watch: Litigation – Labor and Employment” (2024-present)
• Pennsylvania Super Lawyers®, “Rising Stars” (2024)

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

• Burlington County Bar Foundation, Vice President (2023-2024)
• Burlington County Bar Foundation, Treasurer (2022-2023)
• Burlington County Bar Association, Trustee
• Burlington County Bar Association, Co-Chair Employment Law Committee
• Burlington County Bar Association, Young Lawyer Trustee (2020-2021)
• Covenant Presbyterian Church, Music Leader
• Supreme Court of New Jersey, District Ethics Committee III B, Attorney Member

Speaking Engagements

• “Disciplinary Actions under NJ Civil Service Laws,” Burlington County Bar Association (Mount Holly, NJ, March 2022) (moderator)
• “Medical Marijuana: The Next Frontier,” Burlington County Bar Association (Mount Holly, NJ, March 2021) (panelist)
• “Trial Techniques: Strategies to Enhance Your Courtroom Advocacy,” Burlington County Bar Association (Mount Laurel, NJ, December 2019) (panelist)
• “New Jersey Advanced Appellate Advocacy,” Burlington County Bar Association (Mount Laurel, NJ, December 2018) (moderator)
• “New Jersey Advanced Appellate Advocacy,” Burlington County Bar Association (Mount Holly, NJ, February 2017) (panelist)

Published Works

• “What Pennsylvania Employers Need to Know About Whistleblower Protections,” The Legal Intelligencer (October 2020) [Co-Author]
• “New Jersey Civil Rule Changes to Motion Practice,” Bloomberg Law (August 2020) [Author]
• “Short-Sighted Sainthood: Defense Fails to Beat Bill O’Reilly Shrine Case,” The Legal Intelligencer (August 2020) [Co-Author]
• “Perception Turns to Harsh Reality as Gender Stereotyping Claim Heads to Jury,” The Legal Intelligencer (May 2020) [Co-Author]
• “No Evidence Causes Part-Time Police Officer’s Discrimination Claims to Fizzle,” The Legal Intelligencer (March 2020) [Co-Author]
• “Pregnant Employee Surmounts Summary Judgment Based on Supervisor’s Comments,” The Legal Intelligencer (February 2020) [Co-Author]