Guilford F. "Gif" Thornton Jr.
Managing Partner
Government Relations, State & Local
- Overview
- Recognitions
- Publications
- Insights
Overview
Gif Thornton has served as Managing Partner for Adams & Reese since 2015. Previously, he served as legislative counsel to a number of businesses, trade associations, and governmental entities with interests before Tennessee state and local government. He has been named as Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in Nashville for both Government Relations and Insurance Law.
Gif is a former member of the Davidson County Election Commission and has served as counsel to a number of statewide Republican campaigns. He was appointed by Governor Bill Lee to chair the Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments. He was also nominated by former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean to the Board of the Metropolitan Development Housing Agency. He is a former Board President to the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee.
Gif has also served the community as a member of the Board of Trust of Vanderbilt University, as well as Brentwood Academy. He is an elder at Christ Presbyterian Church and serves on the board of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO.
Gif and his wife Anna have four adult children. Outside of the office, Gif enjoys running and has completed a number of marathons, including those in Boston, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
Prior to law school, Gif worked in the Foreign Service as Special Assistant to the Ambassador at the American Embassy in Paris, France.
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Education
- Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D. | 1990
- Vanderbilt University, B.S. | 1984
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee
Related Services
Recognitions
- AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year in Nashville – Government Relations, 2014
- Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year in Nashville – Insurance Law, 2020
- Best Lawyers® - Education Law, Government Relations, Health Care Law, Insurance Law
- Business TN® - Best 150 Lawyers in Tennessee, 2010
- 101 Top Lawyers - Nashville Post
- Nashville Post "In Charge," 2010-2020
- Best of the Bar - Nashville Business Journal, 2013-2024
- Pro Bono "Attorney For Justice" - Tennessee Supreme Court, 2014
Education
- Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D. | 1990
- Vanderbilt University, B.S. | 1984
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee
Related Services
Publications
- "Adams & Reese Sees Revenue, Profits Rose Sharply," interviewed in ALM/Law.com, February 2024
- "Thoughtful Headcount Growth Steers Midsize Firms to Steady Financial Outcomes," interviewed in ALM/Law.com, April 2023
- "Adams & Reese Posts Positive Numbers in Busy Southeast Market," interviewed in ALM/Law.com, February 2023
- "Shaping the Future of Business Operations: Turning Threat into Opportunity," Adams & Reese BOOM! Southeastern Commerce Podcast, September 2021
- "On Leadership Series," Thomson Reuters, December 2020
- "Always Braced for a Storm, These Firms Knew How to Cope Amid COVID-19," interviewed in ALM/Law.com and The American Lawyer, August 2020
- "Online Sales Tax: What South Dakota v. Wayfair Means for Tennessee" published in Tennessee Bar Journal, October 2018
- "What Businesses Can Expect from a New GOP Attorney General," interviewed in Nashville Business Journal, September 2014
Education
- Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D. | 1990
- Vanderbilt University, B.S. | 1984
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee
