Groom associate and member of Groom’s Retirement Services and Litigation practice groups, Levine Thomas, has been selected by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (“MCCA”) to participate in its 2022 Sources of Success Program. Having taken part in a highly-competitive evaluation process to narrow the field of junior and mid-level attorneys down to just 30 diverse and talented individuals, Thomas has been accepted as a participant in this prestigious professional development program that will take place over the span of 12 months. The focus of the program is on identifying successful career strategies to allow attorneys to develop leadership and management skills, as well as to provide an opportunity for attorneys to find the right mentor to guide their career advancement. For additional information on the program, click here.
About Levine Thomas
Levine Thomas represents clients on a broad range of ERISA fiduciary, plan governance and securities law matters. As part of his practice, Thomas advises his clients on regulatory compliance, due diligence and risk management issues with respect to investments, acquisitions, and prohibited transactions. He regularly drafts side letters and negotiates investments in private equity funds, hedge funds and other private placement investments to achieve the best terms for his clients. Leveraging his compliance experience, Levine also defends clients in front of government agencies, arbitrators and federal courts. He has extensive experience representing plan fiduciaries in connection with government investigations and federal litigation regarding prohibited transactions, investment products, actuarial assumptions and withdrawal liability. At Groom, Thomas serves as an active member of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee and assists with the firm’s recruitment efforts.
Thomas’ path to the field of law was not the traditional path. Prior to his practice in law, Thomas worked in the federal government for over six years – both at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) and at the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”). During his time at the GAO, Thomas contributed to reports to congressional requestors and conducted reviews of federal multiagency programs and the internal operations of individual agencies. The largest investigation he worked on at the GAO involved examining how bank regulators and depository institutions could better mitigate cybersecurity threats. At the NIH, Thomas analyzed financial disclosure reports and advised federal employees on statutes and regulations governing ethics, including avoiding conflicts of interest, procurement integrity requirements, participation in outside activities, political activities, investments, and use of government resources.
Originally from New York, Thomas attended Georgetown University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Theology. During Thomas’ undergraduate studies, he did bench research on BRCC2, a potential candidate breast cancer tumor suppressor gene. Outside of the science arena, he had the opportunity to serve as Cabinet Secretary of Student Health in Georgetown’s student government, an editor in Georgetown’s main student newspaper, and President of Georgetown University Men Advocating Relationship Responsibility. He is most proud of his involvement in the Georgetown Center for Multicultural Equity and Access in its Community Scholars Program where he served as a mentor, resident advisor and teaching assistant to first generation and low income college students. He later earned a Master of Science in International Health Policy from the London School of Economics while leading the university’s competitive chess team as captain. Thomas went on to receive his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School as a part time night student while working for the federal government during the day. Believing that one cannot have too much education under their belt, Thomas is currently finishing his coursework towards a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion at Cornell University.
Outside of work, Thomas enjoys spending time, traveling, and trying out new foods with his wife, Pallabi Guha, a Neonatologist at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center and his 1 year-old son, Vivek.
About MCCA
The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (“MCCA”) is the preeminent voice on diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal industry. It was founded in 1997 with a mission to recruit, retain and promote diverse attorneys by publishing research to providing professional development opportunities to offering advisory services. Today, MCCA empowers members with the tools needed to disrupt business as usual – and to blaze a path forward for their company, industry and corporate America.
