Portrait of Steven Thomas

Steven Thomas

Principal

For over five decades, Steven Thomas has advised companies at critical junctures, helping them navigate complex business and transactional challenges. His practice includes corporate structuring, venture and private capital raises, secured and unsecured financings, mergers and acquisitions, business succession planning, and corporate governance for domestic and international entities. He works closely with management teams, often serving as outside counsel and attending board meetings to support long‑term organizational strategy.

Steven’s practice spans a wide range of industries and business objectives, and his leadership spans business planning, marketing strategy, internal policy development, and personnel and financial operations management. He led a team of attorneys assisting a large media group in consolidating internal ownership, implementing a national acquisition strategy, initiating an IPO, and structuring public and private financing arrangements. He also supported a major automotive group in regional consolidation efforts and has guided both educational and medical research institutions through governance evaluations, management transitions, and accreditation‑driven restructuring.

Steven’s global experience includes negotiating a joint venture between U.S. and Chinese broadcast equipment manufacturers in the People’s Republic of China, preparing a joint World Bank bid for project deployment, and negotiating agreements for the distribution and installation of broadcast equipment in West Africa. He has also led teams in successfully defending politically motivated litigation involving a public company’s management.

In addition, he counsels private equity firms, real estate investment and development groups, construction companies, restaurant groups, software distributors, and manufacturing companies.

Since October 2012, Steven has served on the Baltimore County Revenue Authority, where he oversees management and funding for the county’s public golf courses, public parking facilities, and town center development projects. He has also served on the board of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center since September 2002, including work as a Healthcare Board Member and as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee.

    Education

    • University of Richmond School of Law (J.D.)
    • Randolph-Macon College (B.A.)

    State Bar Admissions

    • Maryland
    • Virginia
    • District of Columbia

    Recognitions

    • Best Lawyers, 2013- Present
    • Super Lawyer, 2014-2027
  • Biography
  • Publications & News

Firm Highlights

  • Podcasts
    Artful Donations: Exploring Museum Exchange
    In this episode of The Legal Canvas, host Caryn Keppler welcomes Robert Wainstein and Michael Darling, co-founders of Museum Exchange, the first digital platform dedicated to facilitating art donations to museums and nonprofit institutions across North America. Together, they explore how technology is transforming the way collectors, artists, estates, and cultural organizations connect through charitable giving. Robert and Michael explain the inspiration behind Museum Exchange, the challenges they set out to solve, and how the platform has grown into a network of more than 400 museums. They walk listeners through the donation process—from evaluating artwork and matching donors with institutions to handling logistics, documentation, and tax considerations. Along the way, they discuss the realities of museum collecting, why many donations are declined, and how thoughtful placements can help preserve artists' legacies while expanding access to important works of art. The conversation also explores Museum Exchange's work with living artists, artist estates, hospitals, universities, and smaller regional museums, as well as the launch of the Charis Foundation for the Arts, a nonprofit designed to steward significant collections before placing them with institutions that can best benefit from them. Robert and Michael conclude by sharing their vision for the future of charitable art transactions and how Museum Exchange is helping reshape philanthropy in the arts for generations to come.