Toni Thomas

Overview

Toni is an accomplished trial and appellate paralegal with a track record of success in high-profile civil and criminal matters across federal and state courts, bringing a results-oriented, client-centered approach to complex litigation. She leverages deep courtroom experience to help attorneys identify pivotal issues in discovery, assess case strengths and weaknesses, and communicate effectively with clients and joint defense teams. Toni has served as lead paralegal on numerous multi-defendant teams and has prepared and filed briefs, appendices, and other filings in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, including a writ of mandamus, a double jeopardy appeal, and asset forfeiture appeals. With a calm presence under pressure and a genuine ability to connect with people, Toni prioritizes clarity, efficiency, and strategic judgment in every phase of litigation—from discovery through trial and appeal.

Toni’s experience spans antitrust, healthcare fraud, money laundering, RICO, wire fraud, environmental crimes, manslaughter, and asset forfeiture, among others including matters where individuals and companies faced aggressive state and federal enforcement actions. Most recently, she served as trial paralegal in a three-week consumer class action antitrust jury trial against American Express in the Eastern District of New York, helping secure a verdict totaling $12.5 million—including $6 million in compensatory damages and $6.5 million in punitive damages under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Protection Act—against one of the nation’s most prominent law firms.

Toni was part of the team representing five former Amazon employees in the FTC’s historic lawsuit targeting Amazon Prime in the Western District of Washington; the matter settled after three days of trial with no admissions of liability and was described as “a win for Amazon.” She also served on the team that obtained terminating sanctions and dismissal of claims against Timothy Ballard, the founder and former CEO of an anti-child trafficking organization, in a highly publicized civil dispute in Salt Lake City, Utah; of the five cases where the firm represented Mr. Ballard, three were dismissed at or near the pleadings stage by different judges.

In criminal defense, Toni was trial paralegal in a Central District of California case that resulted in a rare complete dismissal of a multi-defendant federal prosecution alleging conspiracy and anti-kickback/Medicare fraud against physicians in a premier spine and pain management practice, with all charges against the client dismissed after more than a year of contested litigation. She also supported the defense as the trial paralegal in the high-profile Backpage.com prosecution of four former executives and two employees, where the team achieved a mistrial after successfully establishing prosecutorial misconduct; the court then granted a mid-trial motion to dismiss a 100-count indictment alleging conspiracy, Travel Act violations, and money laundering in the DOJ’s District of Arizona case. Toni contributed to the Ninth Circuit appeal arguing that the Double Jeopardy Clause should bar retrial following the mistrial based on prosecutorial misconduct.

Toni’s civil practice also includes representing Elizabeth Flynt, widow of First Amendment defender Larry Flynt, in contentious Central District of California litigation over Mr. Flynt’s estate, as well as representing a high-net-worth individual in aggressive asset seizure and forfeiture actions involving seizure of website publishing proceeds in the Central District of California.

A graduate of the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Public Policy and Management, magna cum laude, Toni was a member of the women’s volleyball team and earned recognition as a standout scholar-athlete on the Dean’s List and Athletic Department Honor Rolls. She holds a Paralegal Certificate from the University of California, Irvine.