The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. Based in Chicago, the Thomas More Society defends and fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way to the United States Supreme Court.
Paul M. Jonna has successfully represented clients in a wide array of complex and high-profile civil litigation matters. He represents corporate and individual clients in the areas of complex business, securities, real estate, and insurance litigation – reaching successful conclusions at trial, via summary judgment, and through confidential settlements. A significant portion of his practice also focuses on wrongful death and serious personal injury cases, where he has been instrumental in recovering millions for clients. Mr. Jonna also devotes a significant portion of his practice to handling high-profile, complex Constitutional litigation, primarily at the trial level.
Mr. Jonna obtained considerable trial and arbitration experience early in his legal career, including bench trials, lengthy jury trials, and securities arbitration proceedings. He has handled state and federal appeals and has argued before numerous state and federal courts, including before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the California Court of Appeals. He was selected by the San Diego Business Journal as one of the “Best of the Bar” for 2016 and 2017, and he was named to Super Lawyers’ 2019 and 2020 San Diego Rising Stars list.
Mr. Jonna began working with Charles LiMandri in 2013 and became a named partner in 2016. He was previously an associate at the national law firm of Gordon & Rees, where he represented a broad range of clients, including major Fortune 500 companies, small and large businesses, and leading national and international insurers in complex commercial litigation and class actions in state and federal courts throughout California. Prior to joining Gordon & Rees, Mr. Jonna was an associate at Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann, where he represented institutional investors in complex litigation and securities class actions, including Public Employees Ret. Sys. of Mississippi vs. Merrill Lynch & Co. ($315 million recovery); In re Wells Fargo Mortgage Pass-Through Certificate Litigation ($125 million); and In re AXA Rosenberg Investor Litigation ($65 million).
Mr. Jonna earned his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he was Comments Editor of San Diego Law Review and published “In Search of Market Discipline: The Case for Indirect Hedge Fund Regulation,” 45 San Diego Law Review 989 (2008). During law school, he earned a CALI Award for the highest grade in Complex Litigation as well as a merit scholarship. He earned his B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, where he was invited to Beta Gamma Sigma, named to the Dean’s List, and earned a merit scholarship.
Mr. Jonna is also active in the community. He currently serves as the Vice President of the San Diego Chapter of Legatus, an organization of Catholic business leaders. Additionally, Mr. Jonna serves on the Board of Directors of the Ruth Institute, a global nonprofit organization equipping Christians to defend the family and build a civilization of love. He is also a former three-term President and current member of the Board of the St. Thomas More Society of San Diego, an association of Catholic lawyers, judges, and public servants.
Mr. Jonna is also a legal advisor to the Diocesan Board for the Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St. Peter the Apostle, and he also sits on the Parish Council of St. Anne’s Catholic Church. A San Diego native, Mr. Jonna resides in Rancho Santa Fe with his wife and six young children.