Thomas J. Bois
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Environmental Attorney in Costa Mesa, CA
As managing partner at Bois Legal Counsel, Thomas J. Bois focuses on environmental law, employment law, construction law, business law and real estate law. Representing clients throughout Southern California, he has been named by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy as a master advocate. For his commitment to legal ethics and professional accomplishments, he earned the highest peer rating possible of AV Preeminent* from Martindale-Hubbell.
After graduating magna cum laude from Saint Michael’s College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1977, Mr. Bois then attended Saint Louis University School of Law. There he earned a Juris Doctor in 1981, and since then has tried and litigated to judgment over 100 cases. A former adjunct professor at the University of California, Irvine, he was also certified by the Society for Human Resource Management as a Senior Professional in Human Resources.
Mr. Bois is a member of the Labor and Employment and Real Estate Law sections of both the Orange County Bar Association and the State Bar of California. He is also admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Missouri; the Supreme Court of California; the District of Columbia Court of Appeals; the U.S. District Court for the Southern, Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California; the United State Supreme Court; and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
A speaker for the Building Industry Association, the California Continuing Education of the Bar and the American Bar Association, he also authored and co-authored numerous journal articles and four recognized legal texts. Mr. Bois is also the Bourke Family Foundation’s counsel, working to improve the lives of children in Ghana, Liberia and Tanzania.
* AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
- 50%Environmental
- 40%Employment & Labor: Employer
- 10%Real Estate: Business
Environmental Law, Employment Law - Employee, Wage & Hour Laws, Labor Law, Landlord/Tenant
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2019 - 2022
Additional Sources of Information About Thomas J. Bois
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About Thomas J. Bois
First Admitted: 1982, Missouri
Professional Webpage: https://www.boislegal.com
Educational Background
- Compass Bible Institute - Masters, Biblical Counseling (in progress)
- St. Michael's College, Winooski, VT, A.B., Magna Cum Laude, 1977
Scholarly Lectures/Writings
- Current Issues in Storm Water Regulation, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Santa Ana, CA, August 23, 2012
- Defending Against Environmental Contamination and Toxic Tort Claims, ABA National Meeting, Section on Tort and Insurance Practice, Atlanta, GA, August 11, 1991
- Cost Effective and Creative Litigation Strategies for the Toxic Tort and Environmental Case: Using Technology to Achieve Cost Savings, ABA Section on Tort and Insurance Practice, Mid Year Meeting, April 12, 1993, Tucson, AZ
- Litigating the Complex Groundwater Contamination Claim, Association of California Water Agencies, Burlingame, CA, October, 1995
- Using Fuel Fingerprinting Analysis in Groundwater Litigation to Date a Contaminant Release, State of California Conference of Governments, 2nd Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA, February 14, 1996
- Meghrig v. KFC Western, Inc.: RCRA and Service Stations Come to the Supreme Court, 1996 National Petroleum Marketing Attorneys’ Meeting, Washington, D.C., March 26, 1996
- The Impact of Petroleum Contamination on Property Values and Commercial Loan Qualification, ABA Section on Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law, 11th Annual Petroleum Refining and Marketing Conference, Chicago, IL, October 23, 1996
- The Impact of Contamination on Property Value and Commercial Loan Qualification, California Association of Realtors, Annual Meeting, Monterey, CA, January 17, 1997
- Emerging Legal Tools to Deal With Environmental Laws and Regulations and Achieve Site Cleanup, Restoration and Redevelopment of Oil & Gas Producing Sites, SPE Western Regional Meeting, June 26, 1997
- Methane Gas: A Technical and Legal Challenge to Residential and Commercial Development, Women’s Environmental Council, Costa Mesa, CA, August 21, 2000
- Products Liability Claims Causing Environmental Injury, California State Bar CEB, Irvine, CA, October 7, 2000
- California Construction Defect and Mold Litigation, National Business Institute, Los Angeles, CA, June 23-24, 2003
- Methane Gas: Technical and Legal Challenges to Residential and Commercial Development, AEHS 11th Annual West Coast Conference on Contaminated Soils, Sediments and Water, March 21, 2001, San Diego, CA
- Environmental Liability Reporting Pursuant to Federal Securities Laws, AIG Environmental Symposium, Los Angeles, CA, November 6, 2003
- Emerging Issues in California Indoor Air Quality and Toxic Mold Litigation, National Business Institute, Pasadena, CA, November 12, 2003
- Land Use Covenants and New Regulations: Redevelopment of Contaminated Property, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Costa Mesa, CA, September 9, 2004
- Redevelopment of Contaminated Property, Lorman Educational Services, National Teleconference Seminar, November 2, 2005
- Current Issues in Storm Water Regulation, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Long Beach, CA, November 15, 2005
- Liability from Closed Landfills: Issues Confronting Developers & Private Landowners, CIWMB Post Closure Land Use Symposium, Ontario, CA, February 16, 2005; Stockton, CA, March 1, 2006
- Current Issues in Storm Water Regulation, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Santa Monica, CA, September 12, 2008
- Current Issues in Storm Water Regulation, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Long Beach, CA, November 7, 2008
- Environmental Legal and Regulatory Framework, University of California - Irvine, Adjunct Professor, 2004
- Current Issues in Storm Water Regulation, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Pasadena, CA, January 15, 2008
- Deposition Techniques, NITA: Deposition Skills, California Coast, Orange, CA, July 30-Aug. 2, 2008
- Environmental Liability Allocation: Law and Practice, Thomson West, 1st Ed. (2007), Supp. (2008-2013)
- Trial Advocacy Techniques, NITA Faculty at Center for Families, Children & the Courts, Edelman Children’s Courthouse Monterey Park, CA Los Angeles Superior Court, CA, February 23-25, 2010
- Expert Witnesses: Environmental Cases, Thomson West, 1st Ed. (2008), Supp. (2009-2013)
- Current Issues in Storm Water Regulation, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Santa Ana, CA, June 23, 2009
- Groundwater and Soil Contamination: Technical Preparation and Litigation Management, Aspen/Wiley Law Publications, 1st Ed. (1996), Supp., 1998
- Deposition Techniques, NITA: Deposition Skills, California Coast, Orange, CA, July 30-Aug. 1, 2009
- California Groundwater and Soil Contamination: Technical Preparation and Litigation Management, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1994
- Current Issues in Storm Water Regulation, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Pasadena, CA, May 20, 2010
- California Environmental Statutes, California Construction Defect and Land Subsidence Litigation, Ch. 14, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2nd Ed., 1989 (1992 Cum. Supp.)
- Trial Advocacy Techniques, NITA Faculty at National Disability Rights Conference, Los Angeles, CA, June 7-8, 2010
- California and Federal Environmental Statutes, California Construction Defect and Land Subsidence Litigation, Ch. 13, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1992 Cum. Supp.)
- Deposition Techniques, NITA: Deposition Skills, California Coast, Orange, CA, July 30, 2010
- Defending Against Environmental Claims, The Brief, Vol. 22, No. 1, Fall, 1992
- California Land Reuse and Redevelopment Act, Women’s Environmental Council Annual Meeting, San Juan Capistrano, CA, February 19, 2011
- An Insurer’s Defense and Indemnity Obligations for Environmental Claims After AIU Insurance Company v. Superior Court, 18 Tort & Insurance Law Journal 764, 1992
- Deposition Techniques, NITA: Deposition Skills, California Coast, Orange, CA, July 28-July 30, 2011
- “Financial Responsibilities for Environmental Liabilities”, 18 W. St. U.L. Rev. 183, 1990
- Current Issues in Storm Water Regulation, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Santa Ana, CA, August 22, 2011
- “How To Survive an Administrative Environmental Investigation”, Orange County Lawyer, Vol. 33, No. 5, June, 1991
- Current Issues in Storm Water Regulation, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Pasadena, CA, July 20, 2012
- “A Business Guide to the Regulation Jungle”, Orange County Business Journal, Vol. 14, No. 30, July 29, 1991
Bar/Professional Activity
- Missouri Supreme Court
- Member, Environmental, Labor and Employment and Real Estate Law Sections, Orange County Bar Association
- California
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- Supreme Court of California
- Member, Environmental, Labor and Employment and Real Estate Law Sections, State Bar of California
- Member, Society for Human Resource Management
- District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- District of Columbia Court of Appeals
- Member, Professional in Human Resources Association
- Missouri
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Honors/Awards
- AV Rating, Martindale Hubbell
- Faculty, National Institute for Trial Advocacy
- "Excellent" Rating, AVVO
- Master Advocate, National Institute for Trial Advocacy
Representative Clients
- Available Upon Request
Transactions
- Available Upon Request
Verdicts/Settlements
- Available Upon Request
Special Licenses/Certifications
- Senior Professional in Human Resources ("SPHR"), 2013
- Registered Environmental Assessor, California, 1993
- SHRM-SCP - Society for Human Resource Management
Pro bono/Community Service
- Association of Certified Biblical Counselors - - Level 2, 2021
- Hoag Hospital Foundation, Member
- Bourke Family Foundation, Counsel
Industry Groups
- Churches and Christian Non-Profits
- Commercial
- Environmental Services
- Manufacturers
- Oil & Gas
- Retail and Industrial property owners and developers
- Staffing
Last Updated: 7/9/2021