William S. "Bill" Thomas

William S. "Bill" Thomas


Gausnell, O'Keefe & Thomas, LLC

Recognized since 2019

St. Louis, Missouri

Practice Areas

Construction Law

Litigation - Construction

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2025 - Construction Law
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Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2025 - Construction Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2023 - Construction Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2022 - Litigation - Construction
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William S. Thomas is one of the firm’s many experienced trial lawyers. His practice is diverse, with an emphasis in complex litigation. He has tried cases in a number of difficult venues, from the City of St. Louis, Missouri, to Madison and St. Clair Counties, in Illinois, and Federal Court in East St. Louis and St. Louis. He was lead trial counsel in one of the longest civil jury trials in St. Louis County history, which lasted 100 trial days. In addition to his trial practice, Bill is actively involved in a number of professional organizations. He is a former president of the Lawyers Association of St. Louis, the local trial bar. He is active in the Defense Research Institute, (DRI), serving on its Products Liability Committee, and that committee’s Building Products and Power Tool Specialized Litigation Groups, where he has spoken at DRI conferences. He is active in the DRI’s Construction Committee, and Professional Liability Committee, where he serves on their Design Professional Subcommittees. He has authored a number of articles for the DRI’s monthly publication, For the Defense. He is an extensive author and speaker on a number of topics from products liability to construction law issues.

Contact & Links
Location
  • 1717 Park Avenue
    St. Louis, MO 63104
Education
  • Saint Louis University, JD, graduated 1994
  • University of Notre Dame
Bar Admissions
  • Missouri, Missouri
  • Illinois, Illinois
Court Admissions
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
  • United States District Court for the Central and Southern Districts of Illinois
  • Federal Court of Claims
  • Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2025 - Construction Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2023 - Construction Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2022 - Litigation - Construction
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Construction Law, St. Louis (2025)
  • Construction Law, St. Louis (2023)
  • Litigation - Construction, St. Louis (2022)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 for work in:
  • Construction Law
  • Litigation - Construction
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
  • Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants

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Building a Greener Future on Unsolid Ground


by William S. Thomas

As climate change only intensifies, natural disasters are becoming more frequent and shifting how construction legal professionals conduct litigation.

Multi-level house in the process of being built

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