James R. Thomson

Jim represents families, fiduciaries, individuals, and family businesses in matters pertaining to estate planning, estate and trust administration, estate and trust litigation, business succession planning and charitable giving. He assists clients by drafting wills and trusts, advising clients on tax minimization strategies, and guiding families through the estate administration process. Jim also provides guidance to charitable trusts, higher education institutions, and other charities regarding charitable gift solicitation and administration. Jim also serves as a member of Lathrop GPM’s Associate Recruiting Committee.

Prior to joining Lathrop GPM, Jim served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Susan Richard Nelson of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. He also worked for several years as a project manager at a small software training consultancy, where he developed an intimate understanding of the succession challenges facing family-owned businesses.

Outside of his legal practice, Jim serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Stevens Square Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to enabling older adults to continue living independently in their communities.

• Co-presenter, "Trust Planning for Agricultural Land and Assets," Minnesota State Bar Association, 2022 Real Estate Institute, October 27, 2022
• Co-presenter, "Trust Planning for Agricultural Land and Assets," Minnesota State Bar Association, 2022 Probate & Trust Law Section Conference, June 14, 2022
• Presenter, “Ancillary Administrations,” Minnesota CLE, Recorded Webcast Seminar, April 28, 2022
• Co-presenter, "Estate Planning Strategies for a Pandemic: Leveraging Uncertainty in a Locked-Down World,” Minnesota CLE, Live Webcast Seminar, June 22, 2021
• Presenter, “Charitable Gifts and Trusts: The Top 5 Things Attorneys Should Know,” Minnesota CLE, Live Webcast Seminar, November 3, 2020
• Presenter, “Your First Will and Trust: Key Considerations When Drafting Your First Will and Trust,” Minnesota State Bar Association, 2019 Probate & Trust Law Section Conference, June 10, 2019
• Presenter, “Drafting Basic Wills and Trusts in Minnesota: A Primer,” Minnesota CLE, Washington County Bar Association, November 21, 2018
• Presenter, “The Nuts and Bolts of a 21st Century Estate Plan,” Minnesota Paralegal Association, 2018 MPA Annual Convention, May 24, 2018

• Co-author, "Looming TCJA Sunset Provision Should Hasten Estate Tax Planning," Bloomberg Tax, January 10, 2024
• Author, "Tax Court Confirms Constitutionality of Minnesota Estate Tax," Minnesota State Bar Association Newsletter, February 1, 2023
• Co-author, "Estate Planning Techniques in a High-Interest-Rate Environment," Bloomberg Tax, December 23, 2022
• Co-author, "Ancillary Administration," Chapter 10, Minnesota CLE Minnesota Estate Administration Deskbook 5th Edition, 2018 - present
• Co-author, "Miscellaneous Procedures," Chapter 8, Minnesota CLE Minnesota Estate Administration Deskbook 5th Edition, February 2018
• "The Business Risk Doctrine in Minnesota: The Emperor Has No Clothes," 35 Hamline L. Rev. 43. August 28, 2012

• Minnesota State Bar Association, New Lawyers Section, Articles Committee Chair, 2018–2020
• Hennepin County Bar Association

• Stevens Square Foundation, Board of Directors, 2021-present

• Selected among The Best Lawyers in America®, "Ones to Watch," 2024
• Thomson Reuters, "Minnesota Rising Star," 2022-2023
• "North Star Lawyers," Minnesota State Bar Association, 2018