Directory of fellows
William L. Thomas
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Counsel and Environmental, Health and Safety Practice Head
(202) 303-1210 (work)
(571) 388-7866 (mobile)
Washington,
District of Columbia
Region 3 DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV and 7 federally recognized tribes
William L. Thomas is counsel and Chair of the Environment, Health & Safety Practice if Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP. Mr. Thomas advises companies, private equity firms, investment funds, financiers, developers and other enterprises on environmental law matters, including transactions, projects, and formulation of management and legal compliance strategy. He also handles litigation and disputes involving environmental, health and safety concerns. His deep knowledge in international environmental law and policy matters includes analyzing risks and opportunities arising under regional and international environmental agreements, requirements under emerging EHS legal regimes and related international standards and codes of conduct, and legal aspects of sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG).
Degrees
- Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1989
- St. Olaf College, B.A., 1986
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- New York
Professional Societies and Organizations
- Other appointments include service on the boards of directors of various non-profit organizations, including the Ranger Legacy Foundation and Victory Housing Inc., as an Ambassador for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, as a Mentor for the Three Rangers Foundation, and as a member of the Advisory Board of the Special Forces Trust and the Leadership Council of the Environmental Law Institute.
- Mr. Thomas is a member of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Sections on Environment, Energy and Resources (SEER) and International Law (SIL), having previously served on the governing Council for both sections, as well as past Chair of the International Environmental Law committees of both SEER and SIL. He also previously served as Liaison for SEER and SIL to the ABA Standing Committee on Environmental Law, Vice Chair of the Environmental, Health and Safety Law Committee of the International Bar Association, Vice President of the Environmental Law Protection Law Committee of the Inter-American Bar Association, and Vice Chair of the Environmental Law Committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, and Director of The Conference Board's Environmental, Health & Safety Legal Council.
Other Environmental Career Experience
Prior to joining Willkie, Mr. Thomas was with Winthrop, Stimson Putnam and Roberts and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and served as Americas Environment Head for Clifford Chance LLP.Representative Publications (not including ACOEL Blogs)
- "California's Comprehensive Climate Accountability Regime: Setting an Aggressive New National Standard," Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (November 2023) (with William Stellmach and Adam Aderton)
- "SEC Proposes Climate Disclosure Rules," The Investment Lawyer, Vol. 29, No. 8 (August 2022) (with Athena Eastwood, Dennis A. Fallon, Elizabeth P. Gray, Robert B. Stebbins, and William J. Stellmach)
- “United States” chapter, The Legal 500: Renewable Energy Country Comparative Guide (2022) (with Norman C. Bay, Jorge Kamine, Matthew Vittorla, and Juliana V. Pimentel)
Illustrative Projects
- Advised on necessary environmental aspects on the following representative matters:
- • GENLED Brands on its sale to Principal Industries, a portfolio company of Wynnchurch Capital, L.P.
- • Goldman Sachs, as a committed financing source in connection with the acquisition of Element Solutions by Solstice Advanced Materials, valued at approximately $14.5 billion.
- • Inflexion, and its portfolio company Avantus Aerospace Group Limited, on the sale of Avantus to Arcline Investment Management
- • Churchill Capital Corp XI, on its $2.5 billion merger with Agility Robotics, Inc.
- • Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC, on the sale of LOGISTEC’s Marine Terminal Division to Enstructure
- • Second Nature Brands on its acquisition of Tillamook Country Smoker
- • Saks Global Enterprises LLC through its restructuring process, including its chapter 11 exit
- • Harbor Group International, LLC in its acquisition of a portfolio of nine multifamily properties from AH Realty Trust for approximately $485 million
- • Crescentia Capital and its portfolio company Terra Nova Solutions, on the sale of Terra Nova to Clean Harbors, Inc.
- • Avista Healthcare Partners on its acquisition of Bentec Medical
- • ITE Management L.P on its acquisition of CS Leasing Holding PTE Ltd.
- • Mueller Industries, Inc. on its acquisition of Bison Metals Technologies LLC.
- • Ryerson Holding Corporation in its merger with Olympic Steel, Inc.
- • Capstreet in its acquisition of TOPS Field Services, LLC
- • Karman Space & Defense in its acquisition of Seemann Composites, LLC and Materials Sciences LLC
- • Revolution Resources III, LLC and its affiliates, Revolution III ABS Holdings, LLC and Revolution III ABS 2026-1, LLC, in the private placement of $72 million of asset-backed notes issued by Revolution III ABS 2026-1, LLC.
- • The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Guess?, Inc. in the $1.4 billion take-private acquisition of Guess? by certain shareholders in partnership with Authentic Brands Group
- • Dotmatics on its $5.1 billion sale to Siemens AG
Insight from William L. Thomas
