Attorneys

James Moten Thompson, Esq.

Telephone: (813) 769-3900
Email: [email protected]

Mr. James Moten Thompson is the managing partner and owner of Thompson Legal Center. Mr. Thompson practices exclusively employment law representing both employees and employers in the Tampa Bay area in cases involving workplace discrimination, harassment and retaliation based on employees age, disability, sex, national origin or religion. Mr. Thompson also advises and litigates issues involving employment contracts, employment agreements, wage and hour, family medical leave as well as most issues arising out of the employment relationship.

Focusing solely on employment law gives Mr. Thompson and Thompson Legal Center the edge to strategize with clients and ensure that they receive the best possible remedy available to them. Each case is different and therefore where as one case might settle in the EEOC investigative phase another case might be taken to trial.

Mr. Thompson graduated from Stetson Law school in 1990. His past legal experience includes prosecuting for the State Attorney’s office in Tampa, Florida as well as extensive practice in general civil litigation, criminal trial work and appellate practice.
He is licensed to practice law in Florida and in California and has been admitted to practice before the Florida Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, all state courts in Florida and California, the U.S. Middle District Court of Florida, the U.S. Southern District Court of Florida and the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. James has had over 100 jury trials and has a history of appellate court experience including several appellate wins in the State and Federal courts.

Mr. Thompson is AV Rated, recognized as a Super Lawyer for Plaintiff litigation and selected as Three Best Rated Employment and Labor attorney’s in Tampa.

James is a Tampa native and resides in Tampa with his wife and two sons.

James is a Tampa native and currently resides in Tampa with his wife and two sons.

Antonio Dowels

Telephone: (813) 769-3900
Email: [email protected]

As an attorney at Thompson Legal Center, Mr. Antonio Dowels brings his desire to help our clients with their needs. Mr. Dowels personally understands the need for each of his clients to feel that they are being heard and are receiving the justice that they so rightly deserve. Despite being involved in car accident in high school that left Mr. Dowels with a disability, he continued to pursue his lifelong dream of helping others. Mr. Dowels thrives on helping people during some of the most difficult and opportune times in their lives. He is dedicated to working tirelessly for his clients.

Mr. Dowels earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He completed his Juris Doctor and Masters in Business Administration, a joint degree, at St. Thomas University. He became a licensed, Florida attorney in 2017. In 2018, Mr. Dowels received an LLM in Taxation from Boston University.

Prior to joining Thompson Legal Center, Mr. Dowels worked as in-house counsel for a software company, where he counseled on privacy and intellectual property matters and represented the company in drafting complex, technology agreements with businesses throughout the world. After working as an in-house counsel, Mr. Dowels became a solo practitioner, specializing in business, tax, real estate, debt settlement, personal injury, and estate planning law. He is now representing clients in employment law and discrimination matters.

Outside of his work, Mr. Dowels is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys traveling internationally.
Mr. Dowels is an active volunteer in many local charities. He volunteers as a scholarship evaluator with the Bailey Family Foundation, a nonprofit that provides $20,000 scholarships to high school and college students annually. As a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Mr. Dowels mentors young men, advocates for the underprivileged in Tampa Bay, and participates in several impactful community service events each year. He serves as a mentor at Tampa General Hospital, counseling teens with spinal cord injuries. He also helps feed the homeless in the Tampa area throughout the year.

Office Staff

Mary Kay Thompson

Office Manager
Mary Kay is the Office Manager and is married to Attorney Thompson. She is a graduate of St. Petersburg Catholic High School and received her B.A. degree in Political Science at the University of South Florida. She has a social work background. Jim and Mary Kay have two sons currently in college, Arman and Nicolai. They are outdoor enthusiasts and their family trips involve either the ocean or the mountains. They are involved with their church, Christ the King, and are passionate about raising awareness for autism research.

 

Andrea Gelsinger

Legal Assistant
Andrea is a seasoned legal assistant with paralegal skills and over 30 years experience in her field. She graduated from Naples High School and attended St. Pete Junior College in the early 1980s. During her time at St. Pete Junior College, she started her career working for firms such as Merkle and Magri, P.A., and Zinober & McCrea, P.A. She honed her paralegal skills while working for Zinober & McCrea, P.A. and Hale and Dorr in Boston, MA. In addition to working for Thompson Legal Center, she also helps with her husband’s contracting business, Gelsinger Design/Build, LLC, as his bookkeeper. On her off time, she volunteers for Save Our Strays in St. Petersburg as a foster. Andrea resides in Old Northeast and has one daughter and three grandchildren.

Jill Coulter

Secretary
Jill has a Business degree with an emphasis in Marketing and Forecasting from California State University - Sacramento. She is an advocate for those with disabilities and their caregivers and is involved in several national programs and research projects focusing on those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. She is a military spouse and has lived in and experienced many different cultures, which she has come to love. Jill has one daughter and a grandchild.

 

Call (813) 769-3900 for a free case evaluation of your employment related issue.