Thomas is a trial lawyer and certified appellate law specialist. His trial and appellate practice focuses on commercial, real estate, environmental, and employment litigation. Thomas represents clients in land use and real estate development, providing counsel on entitlement strategies and protecting projects from litigation challenges. He has extensive experience litigating land use entitlement issues and disputes with municipalities and other governmental agencies at the trial and appellate court levels. He handles state and local administrative and regulatory matters and related government agency proceedings on behalf of businesses, developers, and large property owners.
Thomas has extensive appellate experience and is named as counsel on approximately twenty published state and federal appellate decisions, including: Everett v. Mountains Recreation and Conservancy Authority (2015) 239 Cal.App.4th 541; Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. City of Carson (2015) 239 Cal.App.4th 56; 218 Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (2014) 226 Cal.App.4th 182; Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (2013) 220 Cal.App.4th 840; Chino MHC, LP v. City of Chino (2012) 210 Cal.App.4th 1049; Goldstone v. County of Santa Cruz (2012) 207 Cal.App.4th 1038; Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates, LLC v. City of Los Angeles (2012) 55 Cal.4th 783 (representing amicus curiae); Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson, 640 F.3d 948 (9th Cir. 2011); Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (2010) 187 Cal.App.4th 1487; Carson Harbor Village v. County of Los Angeles, 433 F.3d 1260 (9th Cir. 2006); Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. Unocal Corp., 287 F.Supp.2d 1118 (C.D. Cal. 2003); El Dorado Palm Springs, Ltd. v. Board of Supervisors, 104 Cal. App. 4th 1262 (2002); El Dorado Palm Springs, Ltd. v. City of Palm Springs, 96 Cal. App. 4th 1153 (2002); Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. City of Carson Mobilehome Rental Review Board, 70 Cal. App. 4th 281 (1997); and People v. Grant (1999) 20 Cal.4th 150.
Prior to joining Cozen O’Connor, Thomas practiced at Gilchrist & Rutter and earlier served as Deputy Attorney General, California Department of Justice. Before law school, Thomas worked on federal legislative and executive matters at Akin Gump in Washington, D.C.
Thomas received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and his law degree from Boston University School of Law.