About

Thomas concentrates his practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate finance and private equity. He has represented private equity funds, strategic buyers and sellers, family offices and entrepreneurs in connection with more than 100 M&A or investment transactions with values between $5 million and $500 million. These transactions have encompassed a broad range of industries, including: technology; energy and oilfield services; manufacturing; food, beverage and hospitality; and business services. Thomas was recognized by Chambers USA 2020 as a leading lawyer in Corporate / M&A (Austin).  Thomas was also selected by Best Lawyers in America^® as 2018 Austin Lawyer of the Year for Mergers and Acquisitions. In 2017, Best Lawyers in America^® selected Thomas as Austin Lawyer of the Year for Corporate Law.

Prior to co-founding Queen Saenz + Schutz, Thomas was a partner with Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody, where he served as practice group leader for the firm’s corporate practice. Following law school, Thomas clerked for the Hon. Robert G. Doumar (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia) before working as a corporate attorney for the international law firm of Hunton & Williams.

Thomas is a member of both the Texas and Virginia bars, and previously served as the Chair of the M&A Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. At the national level, Thomas is an active member of the American Bar Association’s M&A Committee, having served as a member of the ABA’s “Deal Points” task force for the last 14 years. Thomas has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America^® (by Woodward White, Inc.) since 2014 in the areas of Corporate Law, Corporate Governance Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. He has also been listed in Super Lawyers® (a Thompson Reuters service) since 2014.

When he is not working on a deal, Thomas enjoys spending time with his wife, Sarah, and their two young daughters. Thomas is also active in the Austin community, including a ten-year term on the Board of Directors of KIPP Austin Public Schools and current service on the Board of Directors of Austin Achieve Public Schools and the Board of Trustees of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.

Thomas received his law degree from the University of Richmond—where he was editor-in-chief of the University of Richmond Law Review and presented with the Charles T. Norman Award for Most Outstanding Overall Graduate—and a B.A. in History, with honors, from James Madison University.