Michael P. Thomas, Partner of the Firm, concentrates his practice in the areas of Health Care Law, Employment Law and Litigation, Business Torts and Litigation and Business and Corporate Law. Additionally, Mr. Thomas is in charge of the Firm's attorney recruiting. Mike joined the firm in August, 2004, after practicing in Atlanta, Georgia.
Since returning to Hickory and joining Patrick Harper & Dixon, Mr. Thomas has concentrated his practice in Health Care Law, Employment Law and Litigation and Commercial Business Litigation – including business torts, anti-trust and trade regulation, and intellectual property litigation. Mr. Thomas represents health care providers, including Hospitals, in all aspects of their business needs, including regulatory compliance, employment practices and physician contracting, procurement and IT, as well as litigation. Mike Mr. Thomas advises clients on Employment litigation matters including particularly claims of wrongful employment practices under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the ADA, the ADEA, the FMLA, the FLSA and state Wage and Hour law, including governmental investigations related to such charges. Mr. Thomas also advises clients in connection with non-compete agreements, shareholder agreements, employee handbooks, hiring and firing decisions and other employment practices. He presently serves as recently served as Secretary for the Catawba Valley chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management.
Mr. Thomas has represented both Plaintiffs and Defendants in Employment, Commercial, Construction, Real Estate, Business Torts, and other Business Disputes, as well as defending clients accused of causing personal injury. He routinely litigates in Federal Court, including adversarial proceedings connected to bankruptcy, and is admitted to practice in all three Federal Districts in North Carolina as well as the Fourth, Sixth and Eighth Circuit Courts of Appeals. In addition to his litigation work, Mr. Thomas advises clients on Health Care and Hospital Law and other business matters including federal law such as Intellectual Property and Anti-Trust. He currently serves on the Section Council of the Anti-Trust and Trade Regulation Section of the North Carolina Bar Association.
Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Thomas served as law clerk to the Honorable Lacy H. Thornburg, United States District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina.
A Hickory native, Mr. Thomas was educated in the Hickory Public Schools. At Hickory High, he served in a number of leadership roles, including being named a Captain and the Most Valuable Player on the 1993 Football Team. He earned his undergraduate degree (A.B. 1998) from Princeton University, where he majored in History. At Princeton, he was a two year letterman in football. He earned his law degree (J.D. 2001) from the Washington and Lee University School of Law.
While practicing in Atlanta with King & Spalding, LLP, Mr. Thomas took part in that firm's representation of multiple Fortune 500 companies in complex litigation in state, bankruptcy, and federal courts throughout the country, as well as consulting with that firm's transactional lawyers advising companies engaged in complex mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. Thomas is a member of the Catawba County, North Carolina, Georgia, and American Bar Associations. He is past president of the Catawba County Bar and past president of the Young Lawyers Committee of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys. He has presented continuing legal education programs on employment law and litigation skills through that group. He is one of two delegates of the County Bar Association to the task force designated by the County Commissioners to work on the design of the Catawba County Courthouse expansion project.
In the community, Mr. Thomas is a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. He graduated from Leadership Catawba program through the Chamber of Commerce, and served on the Planning Committee for that program. He is past president of the United Arts Council of Catawba County.
Mr. Thomas and his wife, Laura, live in Hickory with their four sons --- Mason, Emmett, Liam and Ted.
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