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Ryan C. Thomas

Profile photo for Ryan C. Thomas
Profile photo for Ryan C. Thomas
Counsel

Ryan C. Thomas

Ryan Thomas provides practical, business-centered advice to support his client's objectives.

Ryan Thomas helps navigate complex statutory and regulatory schemes in order to obtain and defend the approvals and agreements necessary to complete projects, while drafting and negotiating bespoke agreements with private and public parties. Ryan's practice blends land use, real estate, project development, and energy law. He has experience in administrative law, and both state and federal court. Ryan understands the pressures and pace of the business community, providing guidance that is sensitive to his client's business needs.

Land Use and Real Estate Development

Ryan's land use and real estate development practice focuses on all aspects of project development, including preacquisition diligence, setting and implementing entitlement strategy, implementing public-private partnerships, complying with environmental laws and processes, and drafting and negotiating key agreements necessary to mitigate risk and implement business objectives. He works with the private sector and with school districts and regularly negotiates agreements with local municipalities. Ryan's work often includes advising around Washington's State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), the Growth Management Act (GMA), the Shoreline Management Act (SMA), the subdivision laws, and other statutory frameworks affecting the environment and development.

Energy Counsel

Ryan's energy practice centers on the complex regulatory framework for energy companies. Ryan leverages his local and federal government knowledge to support strategic, efficient, and successful project development. He has experience advising companies with regulatory issues before the state public utility commissions and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and regularly negotiates utility franchise agreements that give energy companies the right to occupy and use rights-of-way for utility facilities.

Education & Credentials

Education

  • University of Washington School of Law, J.D., with honors, Associate Editor in Chief, Washington Law Review, 2015
  • University of Washington, B.A., Business Administration, 2008

Bar and Court Admissions

  • Washington
  • Oregon

Related Employment

  • Ellis, Li & McKinstry PLLC, Summer Associate, 2014; Associate, 2015-2016
  • Judicial Extern to the Hon. Charles Wiggins for the Washington Supreme Court, 2014

Impact

Professional Leadership

  • Urban Land Institute, 2018-present

    Urban Development and Mixed-Use Product Council, 2022-present
    ULI Northwest 2023 Center for Leadership
    ULI NEXT, 2021-2022
    Co-Leader, Young Leaders Partnership Forum Group, 2020
    Young Leaders Partnership Forum Group, 2019

  • Downtown Seattle Association
  • Downtown Bellevue Association
  • Washington State Bar Association

    Environmental and Land Use Law Section

  • Energy Bar Association

Community Involvement

  • Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, 2023-present

    Board Member, 2024-present
    Operations Committee, 2023-present
  • Days for Girls International, Past Board Member

Professional Experience

Experience

  • Land use and municipal law counsel for Oak View Group and Seattle Arena Company in agreements with the City of Seattle and permits and environmental review processes for the major, privately financed redevelopment of the landmarked arena at Seattle Center, Climate Pledge Arena, helping it to attract an NHL franchise, the Seattle Kraken.
  • Land use and environmental review counsel for development, operations, planning, and problem solving for multiple corporate office projects and campuses.
  • Draft, negotiate, and obtain municipal sign code changes.
  • Perform land use due diligence in mergers and acquisitions involving real estate assets and advised regarding future entitlement, use, and expansion opportunities.
  • Counseled clients regarding land use and environmental due diligence and successfully negotiated agreements to enable project development.
  • Litigated Land Use Petition Act (LUPA)claims in response to permitting decisions affecting client projects.
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