Thomas Lloyd Smith

Thomas Lloyd Smith is an experienced city attorney and former management consultant with a track record of delivering practical, results-oriented legal counsel that helps clients navigate complex challenges and achieve their goals.

Thomas served nearly six years as the City Attorney for a city of approximately 120,000 residents, providing legal advice, counsel, and work products to the City Council, City Manager, department heads, boards, commissions, and committees. He managed a team of in-house legal professionals, including two assistant city attorneys, an administrative analyst, and an office assistant.

As City Attorney for the City of Antioch, Thomas oversaw all city litigation and regularly settled cases involving high-risk matters. He was also appointed by the Antioch City Council to serve as the city’s representative on the Municipal Pooling Authority Board of Directors, helping manage the city’s risk through oversight of its general liability, workers' compensation, and property insurance programs. In December 2024, Thomas was awarded the Key to the City of Antioch for his service. Prior to his tenure as City Attorney, Thomas served as the Assistant City Attorney for the City of San Leandro.

Thomas has advised on the full spectrum of municipal law issues, including public contracts, public bidding, land use, public safety, employment law, the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, the Political Reform Act, and conflicts of interest laws.

He regularly engages in structured problem-solving to help clients address challenges and achieve their objectives. Thomas has worked with city staff on a range of projects and initiatives, including:

• Developing and implementing a zero-emission clean energy fleet transition plan, including contracts for charging stations and purchase agreements for electric vehicles;
• Updating the city’s housing element while balancing local priorities with state mandates;
• Establishing a rent program with ordinances supporting rent stabilization, anti-tenant harassment, and just cause eviction;
• Leasing and converting a privately owned hotel into a non-congregate bridge housing program to provide shelter, support services, and pathways to permanent housing;
• Negotiating a city’s solid waste disposal franchise agreement; and
• Supporting construction of new desalination facilities and related infrastructure to improve water supply reliability and operational flexibility.

Thomas has significant experience working with police and fire departments. His work has included:

• Creating a mental health crisis response team to handle low-level 911 calls requiring mental health support;
• Procuring technology to identify, locate, and track active gunfire within the city to enhance public safety response;
• Transitioning a police department to a new computer-aided dispatch and records management system; and
• Negotiating and drafting a memorandum of agreement to resolve a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into a city’s police department.

Thomas is also well versed in employment law and holds an Association of Workplace Investigators certificate (AWI-CH). He has conducted and overseen personnel investigations involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as employee misconduct, and has participated in administrative hearings.