Mary H. Thompson

Ms. Thompson’s practice areas include corporate transactional law, regulatory, employment law, public utility law and environmental law. As one of the primary attorneys for Alabama’s largest water utility, she has been involved in the major corporate activities of the utility including, acquisitions, sales and transfers, bond issues, rate making, civil and regulatory proceedings, and day-to-day advice regarding corporate governance and employment issues. As such, she is experienced in all aspects of corporate representation including negotiating, drafting and administering various contracts, as well as providing ongoing strategic advice relative to such contracts, and various competitive bid laws. Ms. Thompson also has significant experience with both federal, state and municipal regulatory issues as well as regulatory compliance review and training, purchase and sale of assets, real estate issues and transactions, construction disputes, general litigation and appellate practice.

In addition, Ms. Thompson is experienced in employment law, and provides proactive and preventative training and guidance on a number of employment issues and laws including FMLA, ADA, HIPPA, and Title VII matters. She also drafts and edits corporate employee handbooks and guidance manuals in these areas. Ms. Thompson has also had experience successfully defending an employer from efforts by a national labor organization to force the recognition of a proposed union, as well as successfully defending an effort by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to assert regulatory jurisdiction over an employer.

Ms. Thompson has also practiced before the Alabama Department of Environmental Management in proceedings involving various state and federal permit issuances and renewals, as well as drafting proposed regulations, state initiatives and legislation for corporate clients.


Representative Experience
Significant Corporate and Real Estate Transactions

$2,500,000.00 sale and transfer of The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham’s waste water 
system to the Governmental Utility Services Corporation for the City of Moody.

$22,500,000.00 sale and transfer of The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham’s waste water 
system to the Governmental Utility Services Corporation for Shelby County.

$85,000,000.00 acquisition of the raw water system from the Industrial Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham.

$476,000,000.00 reacquisition by The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham of the water and 
waste water systems from the City of Birmingham. 

$5,000,000.00 sale of approximately 3,200 acres of unimproved real estate.

Notable Circuit Court Decisions.

The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham v. Umicore USA, Inc., et. al.
The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham v. Honorable Alan L. King.
Jones Brothers Paving & Contracting, Inc., v. The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham.
Petitioners Alliance, et. al., v. City of Birmingham, et. al.
Honorable Bernard Kincaid, as Mayor of the City of Birmigham v. The Council of the City of Birmingham, et. al.

Notable Appellate Cases The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham v. Inland Lake Inv., 2009 WL 2723203 (Ala. 2009) Randall v. The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham, 885 So.2d 757 (Ala. 2004) Kincaid v Council of the City of Birmingham, 830 So. 2d 684 (Ala. 2001) (affirming without opinion decision of Jefferson County Circuit Court CV No. 00-4779 J. Hanes (Feb. 23, 2001) The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham v. Petitioners Alliance, 824 So.2d 705 (Ala. 2001) Ex Parte The Water Works and Sewer Board of The City of Birmingham, 723 So.2d 41 (Ala. 1998) Ex Parte The Water Works and Sewer Board of The City of Birmingham, 738 So.2d 783 (Ala. 1998)

Defense of Class Actions

Ms Thompson also has been involved in the successful defense of numerous class action lawsuits. These cases were eventually dismissed after motions for class certification were successfully defended, and involved: challenges to procedures to collect water and waste water bills; challenges regarding implementing rate increases; challenges concerning the performance of a utility’s duties as the collection agent for a waste water entity; and challenges to charitable contributions.

Notable Class Action Decisions

Lloyd Colvin v. The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham, et. al.
Pam Cannon, et. al. v. The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham, et. al.
Fletcher Allen v. The Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Birmingham, et. al.

Bar Admissions and Education

Ms. Thompson is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama, as well as Alabama state courts. She was born in Birmingham, Alabama and received her J.D. from Cumberland School of law in 1992 where she was a member of the Cumberland Law Review.

Professional Associations and Community Involvement

Ms. Thompson is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association, Women’s Section; Alabama State Bar, Environmental Law Section; American Bar Association, Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Section. She is an active member of the American Water Works Association, and has been involved in a number of charitable and civic organizations including the Old Firehouse Shelter (former board member), United Negro College Fund Gala Committee, Zoo Gala, Governor’s Commission on Environmental Initiatives, United Way Visiting Allocation Team Member, the Junior League of Birmingham and the Birmingham Ballet Guild.

No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
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