William Griffith Thomas, former partner at Reed Smith, passed away on Jan. 23. He was 80.
A lifelong Virginia resident, Mr. Thomas graduated from the University of Richmond Law School in 1963. He established a practice in Alexandria that grew into the firm of Hazel & Thomas. In 1999, he helped that firm merge with Reed Smith. Mr. Thomas remained specialized in real estate, tax and land use law, banking and commercial litigation, and remained with the firm until he retired.
An ALI member since 1982, Mr. Thomas served as a former chair of the Virginia Democratic Party, and received a governor’s appointment to serve on the Board of the Center for Innovative Technology, the Board of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and as the Virginia member of the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority.
Mr. Thomas received many awards and recognitions and was involved in number of legal organizations in addition to his work with the Institute. He is survived by his wife, his two sons, and daughter and is remembered for his lifelong dedication to law and politics.
Read his obit in Virginia Lawyers Weekly here.