Thompson & Colegate LLP traces its history to 1915 when the firm was known as Craig, Sarau & Thompson. These partners took office space in downtown Riverside, California. In 1916, Hugh Craig was appointed to the Riverside County Superior Court bench. Sarau & Thompson remained together for another 30 years, until 1947, when the firm took its present name of Thompson & Colegate.
The firm has played an active role in the legal life of the Inland Empire for 100 years. It was instrumental in the growth of the desert communities such as the incorporation of the City of Palm Springs in 1938 and the formation of the Desert Hospital District.
Thompson & Colegate LLP is proud of its history of contributing members to the judiciary. Hugh Craig was the first alumnus of the firm to become a judge on the Superior Court bench of Riverside County. Hilton McCabe, Warren Slaughter, Robert Dauber, James D. Ward, Sharon J. Waters, Sherrill A. Ellsworth and Mac Fisher followed him from the firm to the judicial bench. Similarly, former firm alumni James Bishop and Joan Ettinger presently sit as Commissioners in the Riverside Consolidated Courts. Hilton McCabe and James D. Ward went on to appointments as Justices of the Court of Appeals.
The firm also has a long tradition of involvement in esteemed professional organizations. Tommy Thompson, Don C. Brown, Arthur W. Kelly, Bob Allen, Don G. Grant and John W. Marshall were elected as Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Several members of the firm have also been elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates: Don C. Brown, Don G. Grant, J. E. Holmes III, John W. Marshall and Michael J. Marlatt.
Today, many members of Thompson & Colegate are active in the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel. Don G. Grant, J. E. Holmes, III, John W. Marshall and Michael J. Marlatt have served on its Board of Directors. Diane M. Wiesmann and Gary T. Montgomery are currently members of the Board of Directors. John W. Marshall served as President of this prestigious organization in 1996 and so has Diane M. Wiesmann in 2012.
Thompson & Colegate LLP is an icon among Inland Empire civil litigation and business transactional law firms. Tommy Thompson and Roy Colegate have long passed on, but their firm is proud of its distinguished historical background and its ties to the Southern California community. True to the vision of its founders, the firm continues to provide its clients with the highest quality legal services and to maintain an unmatched reputation for professionalism and integrity within the legal community.
