Mr. Thomas has practiced law in Florida since 1996 and is a managing member of Marshall Thomas Burnett. Mr. Thomas represents homeowners and business owners that have sinkhole claims against insurance carriers. To date, Mr. Thomas has litigated more than 1000 sinkhole cases in courts throughout Florida. Mr. Thomas has tried multiple sinkhole cases to verdict in Pasco and Alachua counties.
Mr. Thomas was born on December 9, 1968, in Satellite Beach, Florida. During his second year of law school, Mr. Thomas was selected as
one of only thirty persons statewide to receive a fellowship at the Florida House of Representatives. During his third year of law school, he
was also a legislative aide for the House of Representatives, Judiciary Committee. As a legislative aide, Mr. Thomas was responsible for bill
drafting, committee liaison, extensive legal analysis of proposed laws, and oral and written presentations to the Legislature. In addition, while
in law school, Mr. Thomas served as a principal aide to Lt. Governor Kenneth H. “Buddy” MacKay during the 1994 gubernatorial campaign.
As Gov. Mackay’s aide, he traveled extensively statewide assisting him in campaign strategy and policy.
Mr. Thomas’s experience in representing both defendants and plaintiffs in a wide range of different actions has aided him in handling his
clients’ cases. He has represented clients throughout Florida in courts from Miami to Tallahassee. His experience also includes representing
business interests in breach of contract, tort, non-competition, fraud, deceptive trade practice, business break-ups, and other complex
litigation. He has represented many Fortune 500 corporations in class action defense litigation involving Florida and multi-state consumer
classes. He represented Florida Farm Wineries in litigation against the State of Florida over the right to directly ship wine to customers
throughout the nation and also advised wineries on alcohol regulation issues. Mr. Thomas also represented gubernatorial and local
candidates in Florida elections.
Mr. Thomas is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell, the highest distinction awarded. In 2011, in the area of insurance law, Mr. Thomas was also
selected as a member of Florida Trend’s “Florida Legal Elite,” which names the state’s Legal Leaders named by their peers.
