The World Boxing League is proud to announce the addition of James J. Thomas II as Commissioner of the World Boxing League.
Mr. Thomas is the first Commissioner of the League and a member of its Board of Directors. Mr. Thomas, formerly of McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP in Atlanta, Georgia headed the Sports & Entertainment practice at the law firm where he served for many years as the chairman of the firm's Ethics & Professional Responsibility Committee. After many years as a litigator of complex business cases, Mr. Thomas's practice evolved over the last decade to include legal, management, and consulting services for individuals and companies involved in sports and entertainment. Mr. Thomas served for many years as general legal counsel and boxing management advisor to four-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Evander Holyfield. Mr. Thomas has also represented top heavyweight contender, Michael Grant, and current world champions Jermaine Taylor, O'Neil Bell, and Sergei Lyakovich, and currently represents boxing legend Roy Jones. Mr. Thomas has served as President and Head of Football Operations for the Georgia Force Arena Football Team and also as President of World Class Sports, a company that manages the careers of carefully-selected elite professional athletes. Mr. Thomas also served as the first Commissioner of the Women's Senior Golf Tour and as general counsel and business advisor to the Professional Karate Association, which promotes professional karate events. Mr. Thomas has negotiated contracts for a variety of sports events and has negotiated numerous endorsement and appearance contracts for sports professionals, sponsorship, licensing, and sports site agreements.
Mr. Thomas attributes much of his success in the world of sports and entertainment to his many years of litigation and dispute resolution training, his reputation for fairness, honesty, and integrity, and his genuine love of sports and respect for athletes. Mr. Thomas holds a Juris Doctor degree from William & Mary School of Law, where he earned a Weber Diploma as Top Graduate, and was Editor-in-Chief of the William & Mary Law Review in 1976. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from William & Mary College, where he was Captain of the karate team and a member of the football and wrestling teams.
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