John P. Thomas, II Attorney At Law

John is an associate in GrayRobinson’s Tampa office and a member of the firm’s nationwide alcohol beverage department. Prior to joining GrayRobinson and while in law school, John served as a Senior Judicial Intern at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida for the Honorable Amanda Arnold Sansome. Subsequently, he became a Gubernatorial Fellow for the Florida Gubernatorial Fellows Program where he served within the Department of Management Services.

• Background

  John was born in Tampa, Florida and has spent the entirety of his life living in the Sunshine State. John graduated from Clearwater Central Catholic High School’s International Baccalaureate program in 2010 and went on to study for his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida. Throughout his time as an undergraduate at the University of Florida, John studied Telecommunications Management and conducted research both domestically and internationally for companies in the retail industry. Upon graduation in 2014, he returned to Tampa where he worked in the software industry conducting user experience research and analysis for a local Tampa software startup.  

  In 2020 he earned his juris doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law where he was involved in multiple extracurricular activities including The Florida Bar Student Education and Admissions to the Bar Committee, and The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Law Student Division. During his time working with the Florida Bar YLD Law Student Division, John focused on building programs to support mental health initiatives at both the University of Florida and the law schools he oversaw in his position as Events and Logistics Chair. In spring of 2019, John was chosen to be a member of Class XV of the Florida Gubernatorial Fellows program. He spent the final year of law school in Tallahassee, Florida serving in the Office of the Secretary for the Florida Department of Management Services. When he’s not in the office John enjoys ultra-marathon running.

• Education
  • University of Florida, B.S., telecommunications management (cum laude, 2014)
    • National Broadcasting Society, Vice President
  • University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D. (2020)
    • The Florida Bar Student Education and Admissions to the Bar Committee, Representative Member
    • The Florida Bar YLD Law Student Division
    • Events and Logistics Chair
    • Governor
    • Florida Law Student Brief, Lead Web Editor
    • OutLaw, Treasurer
    • Student Recruitment Team, Member
    • Anti-Defamation League, Summer Associate Research Program
• Admissions
  • Florida
• Articles and Publications
  • Presenter, "Alcohol Delivery Update – An Overview of Where the Law Stands," HospitalityLawyer.com Quarterly Virtual Seminar Series, February 21, 2024
  • "Engaging a helping hand – Contract Distilling," Artisan Spirit Magazine: Winter 2024, January 1, 2024
  • "Time to do your chores! License Maintenance and Upkeep," Artisan Spirit Magazine: Fall 2023, September 1, 2023
  • "A Whole New World: FDA Regulations for Alcohol Manufacturers," Artisan Spirit, June 30, 2023
  • "Attack of the Records! TTB Record Keeping and Compliance," Artisan Spirit, April 5, 2023
  • "Endorsing and Testimonials: The FTC’s Not-So-Friendly Reminder," National Law Review, February 10, 2022