Braxton Thrash

Braxton focuses his practice on defending insurers, third-party administrators, plan administrators, plan sponsors, and employers in group insurance-related matters involving life, health, disability, and accidental death and dismemberment. He has extensive litigation experience at the federal district and appellate court levels and is well versed in ERISA litigation issues, such as preemption, the standard of review, the scope of discovery, and available claims and remedies. Braxton also has experience defending insurers in life and disability bad faith litigations. Using the firm’s nationwide footprint, Braxton has represented clients in jurisdictions across the country.

Prior to joining Maynard Nexsen, Braxton was a trial and appellate lawyer in the private sector for four years and served two years as a Judicial Clerk for U.S. Magistrate Judge John England, III in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

Community & Professional

• Alabama State Bar Association
• Birmingham Bar Association
• Blount Alumni Fellows, Secretary

• Florentino v. Hartford Life and Acc. Ins. Co., No. 3:24-cv-0643-CHB, doc. 28 (W.D. Ky. Mar. 17, 2026);
• Chalk v. Life Ins. Co. of Am., No. 3:25-cv-133-RGJ, 2025 WL 3006758 (W.D. Ky. 2025);
• Payne v. Hartford Life and Acc. Ins. Co., No. 3:24-cv-0172-DJH, doc. 30 (W.D. Ky. Sept. 29, 2025);
• Bellace v. Hartford Life and Acc. Ins. Co., No. 3:24-cv-0136, 2025 WL 2345157 (N.D. Tex. 2025);
• Totty v. Hartford Life and Acc. Ins. Co., No. 1:22-cv-00044, 2024 WL 3050441 (M.D. Tenn. 2024);
• Merritt v. Flextronics International USA, Inc., No. 23-5549, 2024 WL 5074876 (6th Cir. 2024);
• Hallman v. Hartford Life and Acc. Ins. Co., No. 5:22-cv-780-DAE, doc. 43 (W.D. Tex. Mar. 12, 2024);
• Roeder v. Guardian Life Insurance Company, No. 22-56226, 2024 WL 1612256 (9th Cir. 2024);
• McIver v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., No. 23-55306, 2024 WL 4144075 (9th Cir. 2024);
• Domino v. Guardian Life Insurance Company, No. 2:22-cv-1760-ILRL-KWR, 2024 WL 278984 (E.D. La. 2024);
• Krishna v. Life Ins. Co. of Am., No. 22-20516, 2023 WL 4676822 (5th Cir. 2023);
• Zimmerman v. Life Ins. Co. of N. Am., No. 2:21-cv-02100, doc. 25 (D. Ariz. Aug. 14, 2023);
• Higgins v. Lincoln Electric Co., No. 5:22-cv-88-BJB, 2023 WL 1072016 (W.D. Ky. 2023);
• Snowden v. Hartford Life and Acc. Ins. Co., No. 5:21-cv-0144-KKC, 2023 WL 2586132 (E.D. Ky. 2023);
• Stewart v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co., 43 F.4th 1251, 1255 (11th Cir. 2022);
• Campbell v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co., No. 21-5651, 2022 WL 620151, at *1 (6th Cir. Mar. 3, 2022);
• Yocum v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., No. 3:19-CV-761-DJH-RSE, 2021 WL 5854367, at *1 (W.D. Ky. Dec. 9, 2021);
• Cassidy v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., No. 6:19-CV-000201-GFVT, 2021 WL 1857297, at *1 (E.D. Ky. May 10, 2021);
• Fenwick v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, 2021 WL 100549 (6th Cir. Jan. 12, 2021);
• Davis v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, 980 F.3d 541 (6th Cir. 2020);
• Tucker v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co., No. 5:18-CV-194-TBR-LLK, 2020 WL 3453751 (W.D. Ky. June 24, 2020);
• Young v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co., No. CV 6:19-61-KKC, 2020 WL 996448 (E.D. Ky. Mar. 2, 2020);
• Long v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., 404 F. Supp. 3d 1012, 1021 (N.D. Tex. 2019);
• Griffin v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, 898 F.3d 371 (4th Cir. 2018);
• Howe v. Barr Eng'g Co., No. 17-CV-3019 (JNE/LIB), 2017 WL 7202130, at *9 (D. Minn. Dec. 6, 2017), report and recommendation adopted, No. 17-CV-3019 (JNE/LIB), 2018 WL 647928 (D. Minn. Jan. 31, 2018).

Recognition

• Listed in Best Lawyers, "Ones to Watch" for Commercial Litigation, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants (2024 - present)