Connor Thomson

Connor Thomson is a rising second-year student at the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law who won the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers’ John F. Burton Jr. Law Student Writing Competition with his paper “Fight Fire With Fire: The Need For Carriers To Be Afforded More Duties And Privileges To Combat The Pandemic Of Workers’ Compensation Insurance Fraud.” He earned his bachelor’s degree with honors from St. Joseph’s University and is interested in defending insurance companies against fraud.

Thomson’s professional work experience spans five different roles at five different companies. He has worked with loan policies of title insurance, auto non-injury claims, a managing general agent, an insur-tech start-up, and a workers’ compensation wholesale broker. This summer, he is clerking at a boutique insurance defense firm located on Philadelphia’s Main Line.

Thomson earned the Certified Authority in Workers’ Compensation (CAWC) designation from AF – Group and this summer is completing the prestigious Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.

Outside of school and work, Connor enjoys spending quality time with his parents, grandparents, and mini-labradoodle puppy Polly.

Thomson’s paper, “Fight Fire With Fire,” concludes there is a need for “courts and legislators to afford carriers more duties and privileges, namely reasonable investigation and unqualified immunity, to combat the pandemic of Workers’ Compensation insurance fraud. Carriers should not be forced to be two to three steps away from taking adverse action against unscrupulous criminals; rather, carriers should be heavily involved in investigating workers’ compensation insurance fraud. Although it is not the sole remedy, it is a step in the right direction. Anything less would be unfair to carriers and, more importantly, the public … Unless some drastic change is made, workers’ compensation insurance fraud will continue to get worse.”