James E. Thompson

Of Counsel

Sacramento
400 Capitol Mall
Suite 1650

TEL: (916) 551-2089
James.Thompson@bbklaw.com

Jim Thompson is a Partner in the Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group with Best Best & Krieger LLP.  Mr. Thompson’s practice areas include trial and appellate advocacy in all California and federal courts, with emphasis on resources and environmental law, complex business litigation, public contract law, construction law, representation of management in employment law, and governmental law. 

Throughout his career, Mr. Thompson has been responsible for a number of important cases.  Most recently he has been engaged in the defense of the water rights and federal contract rights of the farmers of the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project. He has also represented one of California’s largest water districts in extensive litigation arising out of the federal government’s closure of Kesterson Reservoir (and resultant failure to provide drainage) as a result of selenium contamination.  In that case, Mr. Thompson obtained an injunction directing the Bureau of Reclamation to proceed with the long-delayed planning and permitting process needed to complete the major agricultural drain for the San Joaquin Valley. 

Mr. Thompson also successfully defended the California Department of Corrections in a six-month jury trial involving employment issues at San Quentin State Prison, and successfully defended the favorable judgment on appeal.  He successfully obtained–and after passage of the necessary authorizing legislation, collected–a judgment requiring the State to restore approximately $20 million in interest earnings unlawfully diverted form the Public Employees’ and State Teachers’ Retirement Funds.  Mr. Thompson also successfully represented the developer in a multi-million dollar construction defects case involving a condominium project of approximately 120 units and participated in the developer’s successful defense of a major class action arising out of the development and marketing of a 6,000-lot subdivision.

Mr. Thompson joined Best Best & Krieger when the firm opened its Sacramento Office in 2001.  In 1998, he co-founded Dauer & Thompson.  Prior to that, he was a shareholder of Kronick Moskovitz Teidemann & Girard.  Formerly, he was an instructor of construction law at California State University, Sacramento.  From 1967 to 1969, Mr. Thompson served as associate counsel for the California Franchise Tax Board in Sacramento. 

He is a member of the Sacramento County Bar Association, the California State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association of which he is a member of the Public Contracts Section.

Mr. Thompson received his Juris Doctorate from Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley.  He received his Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Oregon, Eugene, where he was elected to Friars, the Senior Honorary Society.  California State and Federal courts, 1968.

Bar & Court Admissions

• California, 1968

Education

• JD, University of California at Berkeley, School of Law
• BA, University of Oregon