Education
1989 / J.D., The University of Texas School of Law
1982 / B.S., Mechanical Engineering, with Honor,
Northeastern University
Tau Beta Pi, National Engineering Honor Society

Practice
Peter Thompson brings extensive experience to his mediation practice, serving as mediator or party advocate for over twenty years. As a litigation attorney for over twenty-five years, Mr. Thompson has appeared in all levels of state and federal court and has expertise in diverse areas of law including Maritime and Admiralty, Product Liability, Insurance Coverage, Consumer Disputes, Commercial Disputes, Personal Injury, and Intellectual Property litigation. Mr. Thompson has handled hundreds of claims filed under the Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and related litigation. Mr. Thompson is “AV” rated by his peers, indicating the highest ratings for his skillsand integrity. Mr. Thompson regularly serves as a volunteer mediator with the Harris County Dispute Resolution Center.

Mediation Certification and Training
2015 / A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center
University of Houston School of Law

Completed statutory requirements for mediator training and court appointment pursuant to the Texas Alternative Dispute Resolution Procedures Act in compliance with the requirements of the Texas Mediation Roundtable and Texas Mediator Credentialing Association.

Ongoing / Volunteer, Harris County Dispute Resolution Center

Admissions / Memberships

• Admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States, State Bar of Texas, U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Ninth Circuits, U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Eastern, Western, and Northern Districts of Texas, and U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
• Member of the Houston Bar Association and Defense Research Institute.

Publications and Presentations
Certified by Texas Department of Insurance to provide Continuing Education courses related to insurance law and litigation. Numerous presentations made to insurance professionals from 1992 to the present on range of claims handling, substantive legal, procedural, evidentiary, and administrative issues.

State Courts and State Law: A New Force in Admiralty?
University of San Francisco Maritime Law Journal
Vol. 8, No. 2, Spring 1996.

Presenter, Maritime Federal Preemption Issues - University of Texas, Fourth Admiralty & Maritime Law Conference (1995)

Legal and Other Experience

1997 – Present
Founding Partner
Thompson & Reilley, P.C.
Houston, Texas

• Extensive experience in state and federal court trials
• Experience in representing a wide range of clients on both sides of the docket
• Core work experience in representation of insurance companies and their insureds
• Represents individuals and business entities, domestic and foreign, in state and federal civil litigation
  
• Lead counsel in groundbreaking federal case establishing clients’ rights to restored U.S. Copyrights in foreign works
  

1989 – 1997
Partner
Fitzhugh & Thompson, P.C.
Houston, Texas

• Developed expertise handing cases filed under the Longshore and Harbor
• Worker’s Compensation Act, the Jones Act, and related litigation
  
• First and second chair in state court jury and bench trials
• Briefed and argued contested motions, including evidentiary motions and dispositive motions
• Authored legal articles and CLE presentations
• Prepared appellate briefs, including briefs to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

1985 – 1986
Lead Mechanical Design Engineer
DSC Communications Corporation
Plano, Texas

• Responsible for the mechanical design of new product digital switching equipment for telephone network customers (MCI, Sprint) that lead the burgeoning and groundbreaking digital network market.

1982 – 1985
Mechanical Design Engineer,
Texas Instruments, Inc.,
Dallas, Texas

• Mechanical design of military electronics deployed in harsh military environments.
• Obtained U.S. DoD top secret security clearance