Attorney Profiles

Gregg D. Thomas 
Tampa, Florida
Partner
phone (813) 984-3066
fax (813) 984-3070
email Email Me

Gregg D. Thomas is a well-seasoned trial and appellate attorney.  Gregg has handled multi-million dollar commercial disputes, trademark infrigement litigation, arbitration matters and sensitive internal investigations throughout his years of practice. Gregg has represented newspapers and television stations in more than one hundred defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and intellectual property matters.

Gregg has argued media matters-including reporter subpoenas; access to judicial proceedings, public records, and Government in the Sunshine Law proceedings; and defamation cases-in federal and state trial and appellate courts throughout Florida. He achieved positive results in three substantial Florida Supreme Court cases involving reporter subpoenas, access to public records and misappropriation of likeness.

In 2005, Gregg argued and won the Perfect Storm case (Tyne v. Warner Brothers) in the Florida Supreme Court. The case definitively interpreted Florida's misappropriation of name or likeness statute to apply only to the use of name or likeness when attached to an advertisement or commercial product.

In 1990, he successfully argued a United States Supreme Court case (Butterworth v. Smith) about the First Amendment rights of a reporter who was subpoenaed before a Florida grand jury and then silenced for life about his testimony. The Court's unanimous decision ensures that the government cannot silence reporters.

In 1988, Gregg led the media team in seeking injunctive relief against the banning of the film The Last Temptation of Christ in Pensacola, Florida. Within 24 hours of being retained, Gregg persuaded a federal judge to rule that the county ordinance was unconstitutional and enter a permanent injunction against its enforcement. Legal fees were recovered from the local government as a result of the First Amendment infringement.

Gregg is a member of the American Bar Association's Section on Litigation and Forum on Communications Law. He is a founding chair of the Hillsborough County Bar Association's Media Law Section. In addition, Gregg chaired The Florida Bar's annual Media Law Conference in Tampa in 1987 and co-chaired its Media and Communications Law Committee in 1988. Gregg frequently speaks to professional groups about media law issues. He is admitted to practice in Florida, all Florida federal district courts, the District of Columbia, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court. In 1991, Gregg was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America in First Amendment law and has appeared in every edition since then. From 1976 to 1979, Gregg served as a law clerk to United States District Court Judges Ben Krentzman and George Carr of the Middle District of Florida. He has chaired The Florida Bar's local grievance committee. Gregg joined Holland & Knight in 1979 and became a partner in 1982 and formed Thomas & LoCicero in 2006.

Gregg has served as a Board Member for Tampa Crossroads, President of the Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts, and as a Board Member of and President of the Tampa Museum of Art. Gregg is married to Cathy Clayton, the owner of a contemporary art gallery in South Tampa. Gregg has two children: Jess, a junior at Dartmouth, and Bryan, an editorial assistant for GQ in New York.

Gregg received his J.D., with honors, in 1976 from the University of Florida, having served as Executive Editor of the Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Vanderbilt University in 1972, with a B.A. in history and political science.

Areas of Practice:
75% First Amendment - Media Law
15% Appellate
10% Intellectual Property
Litigation Percentage:
100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions:
Florida, 1976
District of Columbia, 1981
U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1977
U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, 1979
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1977
U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1981
U.S. Supreme Court, 1982
Education:
University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida, 1976
J.D.
Honors: With Honors
Law Review: University of Florida Law Review, Executive Editor


Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 1972
B.A.
Honors: Magna Cum Laude
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
Major:  History
Major:  Political Science


Representative Cases:
Tyne v. Warner Brothers (Florida Supreme Court 2005)
Smith v. Butterworth (United States Supreme Court 1990)
Representative Clients:
Media General
Hubbard Broadcasting
Florida Press Association
Classes/Seminars Taught:
Speaker, Media Law Issues


Honors and Awards:
Best Lawyers in America, 1991


Super Lawyer, 2004


Legal Elite, 2004


Professional Associations and Memberships:
American Bar Association, Litigation and Forum on Communications Law Sections
Member


Hillsborough County Bar Association, Media Law Section
Founding Chair


The Florida Bar Annual Media Law Conference in Tampa, 1987
Chair


The Florida Bar Annual Media Law Conference in Tampa, 1988
Co-Chair, Media and Communications Law Committee


Tampa Crossroads
Board Member


Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts
President


Tampa Museum of Art
Board Member


Tampa Museum of Art
President


Past Employment Positions:
Hon. Ben Krentzman, United States District Court, Law Clerk, 1976 - 1978


Hon. George Carr, Middle District of Florida, Law Clerk, 1978 - 1979


Holland & Knight, Associate, 1979 - 1982


Holland & Knight, Partner, 1982 - 2006