HFM Partner Geoff Thorne is an accomplished business attorney and civil litigator, representing individuals and businesses ranging from local enterprises to Fortune 500 companies. 

Mr. Thorne counsels and defends clients throughout California in business and employment disputes—including high-stakes wage-and-hour class actions, single-plaintiff harassment and discrimination claims, and trade secret theft, to name a few.  In 2021, Mr. Thorne secured an appellate victory for a client that resulted in the first published decision analyzing the personal liability of owners, officers and “managing agents” for qualifying Labor Code violations.  (Usher v. White (2021) 64 Cal.App.5th 883.)  Mr. Thorne has also obtained successful outcomes for clients in complex real estate matters, partnership and shareholder disputes, and intellectual property cases.   

As part of his practice, Mr. Thorne advises employers on best practices in the workplace, regularly providing guidance on personnel issues, compliance with state and federal labor laws, and executive compensation plans.  Mr. Thorne also conducts workplace investigations and provides training to management and workforces on employment law updates.    

Mr. Thorne has been named a Super Lawyers® “Rising Star” since 2018 and was recognized as a “Top Young Attorney” by the San Diego Daily Transcript.  A lifelong San Diego resident, he is an active member of his community.  He served on the Board of Directors for the Coronado Chamber of Commerce and received the organization’s “Volunteer of the Year Award.”  He also volunteered with the Miracle League of San Diego.   

During law school, Mr. Thorne served as a staff editor for the Berkeley Business Law Journal  and the Dodd-Frank Symposium. He also interned at the East Bay Community Law Center, Clean Slate Division, and was a judicial extern to the Honorable Jeffrey B. Barton at the San Diego Superior Court.  In college, Mr. Thorne played Division I baseball for a nationally ranked program.