Ellisse S. Thompson is a litigator in Klein Thomas Lee & Fresard’s Detroit office. She represents clients in the areas of product liability and class action. She has extensive litigation experience, successfully handling matters from the onset of suit up to trial.  She is Co-Chair of KTLF Women, whose goal is to encourage the professional growth and promotion of women in the firm, the legal industry, and the global business community.

From a very young age, Ellisse has displayed a passion for oral advocacy. As a member of her high school debate team, she dedicated herself to honing her skills and crafting persuasive arguments. Her dedication bore fruit swiftly, as she clinched the State Championship in her first year of participation at the young age of 14. Ellisse earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.  She earned a spot on the Moot Court team, receiving advocacy recognition in the Patrick A. Keenan Moot Court Competition. She also competed in the Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. In addition, she served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Nancy G. Edmunds at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. During law school, Ellisse received numerous academic awards, including Book Awards for the highest grade in Analytical Tools, Environmental Law, and the Mortgage Foreclosure Defense Clinic. She was also on the Dean’s List in 2012 and 2013.
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Ellisse gained experience working at one of Michigan’s largest law firms, where her practice concentrated on premises and retail liability, food service liability, motor vehicle no-fault liability, and motor vehicle negligence.  In addition, she served as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Northville where she prosecuted misdemeanor and ordinance violations. She received the 2014 Pro Bono Recognition Award from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan for her volunteer service in representing a plaintiff in a complex disability case featuring elements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). She also assisted in launching a blog, as well as preparing and presented webinars on various topics including fraudulent and suspicious no-fault claims.
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Ellisse also worked as a Senior Attorney at a large national law firm defending and counseling manufacturers and retailers of hunting, outdoor, and recreational products on a national basis. She gained federal and state product litigation experience throughout the United States, from drafting initial pleadings and managing comprehensive pre-trial fact and expert discovery through mediation and trial preparation. As part of her national product liability practice, Ellisse conducted on-site investigations with expert witnesses, product inspections, and destructive engineering testing. She coordinated discovery responses, document collection, and document production on a national basis. Her clients included some of the most innovative companies and manufacturers in the hunting industry, dedicated to embracing new technologies.
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She brings a unique perspective to her defense practice, with experience working as in-house counsel for a major automobile manufacturer primarily responsible for managing product liability litigation. In that role, Ellisse assisted in coordinating cross-functional and specialty team meetings for outside counsel, engineers, and legal staff and also assisted in preparing technical experts for depositions. She oversaw Medicare compliance for personal injury cases and managed third-party cases and claims for company vehicle operations. Ellisse firmly believes in the importance of building relationships and empowering communities. In her role as in-house counsel, she also was a member of the employee engagement committee and was a co-lead for a women’s initiative culture pillar.