Our Team

Will Thomas is a litigator in the firm’s Houston office. Will’s practice includes a wide array of complex cases throughout the country involving energy, construction, commercial contracts, insurance, consumer protection statutes, personal injury, and white-collar matters. Will has been deeply involved at counseling clients at every stage of litigation, including developing cost-effective litigations strategies, reducing discovery burdens, negotiating favorable settlements, and representing clients at trial and through appeal. Will has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star for the past four years. To better serve his clients in a rapidly changing litigation landscape, Will recently returned to Baylor Law School as a candidate for an LL.M in Litigation Management.

Before joining McDowell Hetherington, Will was ranked number one in his undergraduate class and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Baylor Law School. He gained valuable insight into the judicial process as a law clerk for the United States District Court in the Western District of Texas. Will was also an officer in the Texas Army National Guard, and in 2008, he deployed to Iraq as a bodyguard and manager of the Army’s Baghdad hotel for visiting dignitaries. During the year-long deployment, the hotel—a re-purposed palace from the previous regime—lodged over 2,000 visitors, including Vice President Joseph Biden, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Stephen Colbert.

Outside the office, Will is a die-hard TCU sports fan, a wine enthusiast, and avid consumer of a wide variety of podcasts. Will has visited 41 U.S. states (and counting), arriving at two states by way of parachute.

JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP

• Law Clerk for the Honorable Walter Smith, United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (2012-2013)

HONORS

• Texas “Rising Star” Attorney in Texas Monthly, 2017 – 2021
• Law Review (Senior Executive Editor)
• Highest ranked undergraduate (Spring 2007)

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

• Obtained multi-million dollar judgment against national energy company’s former employees, who engaged in a sophisticated money laundering and embezzlement scheme.
• In a matter of first impression of state indemnification statute, successfully obtained summary judgment dismissing municipality’s multi-million dollar claim for damages arising from construction defects in downtown bridge. See First Mercury Ins. Co. v. Westchester Surplus Lines Ins. Co., 152 F.Supp.3d 1320 (D. Or. 2016).
• Managing attorney for two multi-billion dollar consumer class actions against a Fortune 500 company.
• Represented large fertilizer company in water rights dispute against Oklahoma municipality, where my client relied on City’s representations to construct the largest capital project in Oklahoma. Case resolved pre-litigation following successful negotiations.
• Obtained summary judgment in dispute over devulcanization technology and related non-compete agreements, where plaintiff sought over $150 million in damages and exclusive use of technology.
• Represented life insurer sued for alleged misconduct and bad faith. Following several days of trial in federal court, the case settled on favorable terms.
• Obtained favorable arbitration award in matter involving funeral home’s disposition of remains.
• As pro bono matter, drafted an appellate brief, resulting in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals vacating prisoner’s sentence and remanding.

PUBLICATIONS & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

• Franka v. Velasquez, What Is The Prognosis For Negligent Causes of Action Against Texas Government Employees? 64 BAYLOR L. REV. 622 (2012)
• “Parallel Civil and Criminal Investigations and Proceedings,” presented to client in 2015.

ADMISSIONS

EDUCATION