Paul G. Thompson

Serving educational and public entities throughout Northern California, Paul Thompson represents K-12, community college and special districts in all aspects of real estate, transactional and labor and employment matters. Paul handles issues as diverse as eminent domain, project delivery methods, real property law, the Public Records Act, contracts, facilities and developer/fee concerns. Additionally, he is a recognized leader in energy conservation legal matters.

Paul draws on more than two decades in education law to advise clients in collective bargaining, arbitrations and negotiations. He argues matters before the Public Employment Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, and the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. An experienced litigator, Paul regularly assists clients with writs and trials in Superior Court, and has handled civil matters in state courts. He also helps districts procure much-needed revenue through the sale of surplus properties by facilitating land entitlement—the process through which all necessary approvals for development are procured in advance—which makes the plots far more attractive and valuable to potential buyers.

Paul’s familiarity with the challenges faced by educational organizations dates to his childhood in Chico, California, where his father was a chief business officer for the city’s school district. Today, he regularly advises educational organizations on difficult and controversial issues including complications arising from Covid-19, the Brown Act and public protest at school meetings, insufficient state funding, use of drugs like fentanyl, and concerns about students’ mental health.

As a popular speaker at legal and education conferences and seminars, Paul has delivered presentations on subjects such as labor negotiation, governance and Brown Act trainings, charter school matters, and developer, construction and funding issues. He currently co-chairs the Real Estate Property Section of the Sacramento County Bar Association.

Always emphasizing the building of strong relationships, Paul demonstrates loyalty to his clients that’s returned to him in kind. One former superintendent told him that the only way she’d been able to sleep at night was because she knew he was working on her matters. Her Navy SEAL son gave her five medals to bestow upon deserving people. Paul received one, along with a letter that read, in part: “This medallion is a symbol of the courage and determination that it takes to be one of the finest Americans. I think you are one of the finest. You give a 110% every day. You know that the only easy day was yesterday. I wish you to live long and strong.”