On February 7, 2025, the North Carolina legal community lost a legend. Louis Phillip “Tony” Hornthal, Jr. passed away at the age of 88. Tony was part of our Lawyers Mutual family, having served on our Board of Directors from 1988 to 2012. We mourn his loss but celebrate his enormous contributions to Lawyers Mutual and the profession. 

Tony’s career spanned more than 50 years. He started at a law clerk to Justice William B. Rodman of the North Carolina Supreme court and then served as an assistant attorney general for the State of North Carolina. Tony entered private practice initially with the law firm of Leroy, Wells and Shaw and then as a partner with Hornthal, Riley, Ellis and Maland from 1985 until his retirement in 2018.

Tony’s service and contributions to the profession were many. He served as president of the North Carolina Bar Association and Foundation in 1996-97. He was a past president of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, which honored him in 2011 as the recipient of the J. Robert Elster Award for Professional Excellence. Additionally, he served as a member of the North Carolina State Bar Disciplinary Commission, the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission, the North Carolina IOLTA Board of Directors, and the Commission on the Future of Justice and the Courts in North Carolina. Tony was an inductee of the NCBA Legal Practice Hall of Fame and was honored with the State Bar John B. McMillan Distinguished Service award in 2011. 

Tony was a role model for me. Tony showed me what it meant to be professional and a zealous advocate. Tony took pride in the work that he did as the Chair of our Claims Committee at Lawyers Mutual. He took seriously the obligations we have to our insureds. He demanded excellence from us. When I presented a case to the Claims Committee, I knew to come prepared for a grilling from Tony. He was like the judge who has read your brief and has tough questions. He asked the tough questions because he cared. He wanted to make sure that we got the best result possible for our insured lawyer who was facing a malpractice claim. His toughness was matched only by the encouragement that he gave to us. Tony helped us to believe in ourselves and motivated us to want to be better. His mentorship helped me to understand the importance of excellence and compassion. He made me a better lawyer.