Craig A. Thompson, a partner at Venable LLP, has been recognized by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) among its Rainmakers for 2022. MCCA honors attorneys from across the nation whose business acumen, passion, and dedication to proactive client development have set them apart as leaders in the legal profession.
Craig A. Thompson is a trial lawyer and represents clients in the areas of commercial litigation, product liability, premises liability, and personal injury. An elected Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), Craig is an assertive trial attorney and legal counselor with significant experience handling civil cases before federal and state courts throughout the country. His knowledge of technology, legal and business administration enables him to resolve numerous cases by assessing liability and developing risk management strategies. His professional motto — “add value and provide solutions” — has guided him in the service of clients located all over the country.
Craig has served as first chair trial counsel in numerous “bet the company” cases and has been ranked in Chambers USA for several years. Clients describe him as “a great public speaker who really connects with jurors and is able to frame things in a very understandable and persuasive way.”
Craig has also been recognized in The International Who’s Who of Life Science Lawyers, The International Who’s Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, and the Legal 500 for Product Liability and Mass Tort Defense: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices. He is an elected member of ABOTA.
Craig earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park, and currently serves as a member and Chair of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater. He earned his J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law.
Craig is extensively involved in the legal community and has spoken across the globe on a variety of legal and non-legal issues. He served on the Board of Directors of Lawyers for Civil Justice (LCJ) and is a past board member of the Defense Research Institute (DRI). He is the first African-American President of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and served in that role from 2018-2019.