Liisa Thomas

Liisa Thomas is the Office Managing Partner of the Chicago office of Sheppard Mullin, where she supports the firm’s Chicago strategy, growth, and operations. She works closely with firm leadership and with Chicago’s business and civic communities to strengthen the office’s presence in the region and to build long-term relationships with corporate, private equity, and institutional clients. She focuses on fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high performing culture and is widely regarded for her work developing talent and elevating women and diverse attorneys into leadership roles.

As a leader, Ms. Thomas emphasizes client service, collaboration, and innovation in shaping the firm’s culture and strategy. In her role as Chicago Office Managing Partner, as well as leader of the firm’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice, she is known for developing people and teams, with a particular emphasis on mentoring and sponsoring women and diverse attorneys into positions of influence. As a biracial leader, she brings a deeply personal commitment to inclusion and opportunity to her leadership and talent development work.

Ms. Thomas has been profiled for her leadership approach and her commitment to building pathways for the next generation of leaders, particularly women and professionals from diverse backgrounds, and she frequently speaks and writes about talent development, organizational culture, and leading through change. She is actively engaged in Chicago’s business and civic communities through professional organizations and board and advisory roles, and is committed to advancing strong governance, ethical decision making, and thoughtful leadership in the Chicago business community.