Tom has more than four decades of experience in state and federal court litigation in the areas of constitutional and statutory rights and in defamation and education law, as well as complex product liability cases, special remedies, and religious organizations. Since 1990, he has been an Acting Judge in Sylvania Municipal Court, for which he has written numerous decisions on a wide variety of civil and criminal law issues. He has been trial counsel of record in more than 40 reported state and federal court appellate decisions. Tom has been admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and is a life member of the U. S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Conference.
Tom has extensive experience in:
- Print and electronic media defamation and public records matters
- Representing numerous church denominations, schools, parishes, dioceses, religious congregations, TV and radio stations, and nonprofit organizations in litigation at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts
- Litigating cases for private schools, religious organizations, and educational foundations
- Defending complex product liability cases involving machinery, motor vehicles, civilian and military aviation crashes, and building construction system failures
Tom has served as a Member of the Ohio Board of Bar Examiners for 10 years and as Chair (1996-1999) when the Board raised the exam pass standard and added the Multi-State Performance Test. He served 26 years in the U.S. Naval Reserve, retiring as a Surface Warfare and Special Warfare Officer with the rank of Commander. Tom has been active as a leader in local church groups and area judicial campaigns.
Education
J.D., The University of Toledo, 1971
B.A., University of Notre Dame, 1965
Professional Associations
- Toledo Bar Association
- Ohio Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Toledo Bar Association, past Board Member
- Toledo Junior Bar, past President
- UT Law Alumni Association, past President
- U.S. Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference, Life Member
- Local and state judicial campaign committees
- Numerous church groups
- Ohio Board of Bar Examiners, former Chair, 1996-1999
Honors
- 2020 Robert A. Kelb Distinguished Service Award presented by the Toledo Bar Association (TBA). The Kelb Award is presented annually to a TBA member who has unselfishly served the TBA and its members…a person who consistently devotes time and talents in service to the TBA.
- Who’s Who in America
- Who’s Who in American Law
- Who’s Who in the World
- Best Lawyers in America, 2009-2024
- Judicial AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- University of Toledo Distinguished Attorney Award, 2011