Hill Ward Henderson is pleased to welcome Rikiya “Riki” Thomas as a shareholder in the firm’s Corporate & Transactional group.
Thomas represents public and private companies in a wide range of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, SEC compliance, corporate governance, public and private securities offerings and private equity investments. She has worked with clients in various industries, including but not limited to, energy, technology, manufacturing, and staffing. Riki also serves as outside general counsel to a number of small and mid-size company clients.
She also counsels clients on premerger regulatory matters and filings pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act.
“This is an exciting opportunity for me to return to the Tampa Bay area and join a leading M&A and private equity practice in the region,” said Thomas.
“We are thrilled to have Riki join our firm. Her experience representing companies from diverse industries complements our broad depth in advising our clients on complex acquisition and significant corporate transactional matters,” said Jim Robbins, Hill Ward Henderson’s Managing Shareholder.
Prior to joining Hill Ward Henderson, Thomas was a partner at a regional law firm headquartered in Houston, Texas. Thomas earned her Bachelor of Science from Alabama State University where she graduated, summa cum laude, and played Division 1 varsity tennis. She earned her Juris Doctor from Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law where she graduated, summa cum laude, and valedictorian of her class.
Thomas has been active in several community organizations, including serving as a board member of Leadership Houston and a mentor/tutor with a community-based organization in Houston, Texas. She is an avid supporter of Alabama State University athletics and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After spending almost two decades away from home, Thomas is returning to the Tampa Bay area. She is a native of Sarasota, Florida.
Hill Ward Henderson’s Corporate & Transactional group is a leader in advising companies, private equity and venture capital firms, and individual investors in corporate transactions. The firm’s attorneys regularly serve as legal counsel in merger and acquisitions, equity and debt investments, joint ventures and partnerships, and securities and corporate governance matters. With the addition of Thomas, Hill Ward Henderson’s Corporate & Transactional team boasts 22 attorneys. For the past five years, the Corporate & Transactional group and several of its attorneys have been ranked in Chambers USA for excellence in service in the Corporate/M&A and Private Equity practice areas.