A graduate of Northwestern University School of Law, Tom has distinguished himself since launching his career as a lawyer in 1981. He has represented injured persons in a wide range of matters, including medical malpractice, personal injury, products liability, and wrongful death litigation, as well as civil rights actions, and nursing home litigation. He has achieved many millions of dollars in awards for his clients during his career. He has recently been selected as a "Super Lawyer" in this practice area by his peers.

Prior to entering private practice, he spent six years with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, and served as a supervisor in the Public Integrity Unit under then-State's Attorney Richard M. Daley. Early in his career, Tom clerked for Judge John F. Grady in the U.S. District Court, and worked at Sidley & Austin (now Sidley Austin Brown & Wood) and McBride Baker & Coles (now Holland & Knight).

Tom serves as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy at Northwestern University School of Law, and has taught as a guest instructor at other schools. He is a past president of the South Suburban Bar Association and a former Trustee of both the Village of Glenwood and Prairie State Community College. He is presently a member a town plan commission and a school board member for a high school.

Career Highlights

• Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  Membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum is limited to trial lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional skill, experience and excellence in advocacy by achieving a trial verdict, award or settlement in the amount of $1 million or more (see Case Highlights)
• Selected Illinois Super Lawyer in 2007 chosen by peers to be one of the top lawyers in his practice area.
• Teacher of Trial Lawyers
  Adjunct Professor, Northwestern University School of Law; certified trial instructor, National Institute of Trial Advocacy; former supervisor of trial lawyers, Cook County State's Attorney's Office; guest instructor at various Chicago area law schools.
  Watch Tom giving a classroom presentation on injury cases
• Leader
  President (2001), Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Director, South Suburban Bar Association
  Trustee, Village of Glenwood (Chairman of Police, Judicial and Building Committees), 1985-1994
  Trustee, Prairie State College, 1981-1993 (Chairman, 1984-1989)
• Published Author
  Articles published in Chicago Tribune, Screen Magazine, American Bar Association Journal, Association of Community College Trustee Quarterly, and Southland Chamber of Commerce Magazine.
  Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology; author: "Consent to Search in Response to Police Threat to Seek or Obtain Search Warrant: Some Alternatives," 71 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 175 (1980).