REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE Tom’s extensive experience includes:
Consumer/Policyholder Class Actions
- Calandra v. Ford Motor Motor Co., 2011 WL 2566076 (N.J. App. Div. 2011) (Consumer Leasing Act; default charges)
- Georgia Department of Revenue v. Roof, 690 S.E. 2d 442 (Ga. App. 2010) (natural gas charges to consumer)
- Riccio v. Ford Motor Credit Co., 238 F.R.D. 44 (D. Mass. 2006) (unfair trade practice – leasing)
- Jones v. People’s Heritage Bank, 433 F. Supp. 2d 1328 (S.D. Ga. 2006) (Truth in Lending Act)
- Claybrooks v. PRIMUS Automotive Financial Services, Inc., 363 F. Supp. 2d 969 (M.D. Tenn. 2005) (fair lending)
- Jones v. Ford Motor Credit Co., 358 F.3d 205 (2d Cir. 2004) (class action procedure)
- Bogard v. Inter-State Assurance Co., 589 S.E. 2d 317 (Ga. App. 2003) (“risk-free” life insurance)
- Printis v. Bankers Life Ins. Co., 583 S.E. 2d 22 (Ga. 2003) (credit life)
- Schlenk v. Ford Motor Credit Co., 308 F.3d 619 (6th Cir. 2002) (Consumer Leasing Act)
- Rodriguez v. Ford Motor Credit Co., 2002 WL 655679 (N.D. Ill. 2002) (fair lending)
- Baldwin v. Laurel Ford Lincoln-Mercury, Inc., 32 F. Supp. 2d 894 (S.D. Miss. 1998) (dealer reserve disclosure)
- Goodwin v. Ford Motor Credit Co., 970 F. Supp. 1007 (M.D. Ala. 1997) (arbitration)
Lender Liability/Bankruptcy
- In re Cherokee Run Country Club, Inc., 430 B.R. 281 (Bankr. N.D. Ga. 2009)
- General Motors Acceptance Corp. v. State of Georgia, 613 S.E. 2d 641 (Ga. 2005)
- Gutherie v. Ford Equipment Leasing Co., 231 Ga. App. 350 (1998)
- Integon Life Insurance Corp. v. Browning, 989 F.2d 1143 (11th Cir. 1993)
PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND AWARDS
- Named to The Best Lawyers in America in the area of commercial litigation (2008–2012), banking & finance litigation (2012) and real estate litigation (2012)
- Selected for inclusion in Georgia Super Lawyers® (2005–2011)
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Chair, Evidence Study Committee - State Bar of Georgia (2008-2011)
- Vice Chair, Evidence Study Committee - State Bar of Georgia (2003-2007)
- Member, Governing Committee, Conference on Consumer Finance Law
- Fellow, Lawyers Foundation of Georgia
- Member, Lawyers Club of Atlanta
RECENT PUBLICATIONS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Co-author, “Class Actions,” Eleventh Circuit Survey 2010, 62 Mercer Law Review 1107 (2011)
- Co-author, “Class Actions,” Eleventh Circuit Survey 2009, 61 Mercer Law Review 1055 (2010)
- Author, “Class Actions,” Eleventh Circuit Survey 2008, 60 Mercer Law Review 1163 (2009)
- Author, “Class Actions,” Eleventh Circuit Survey 2007, 59 Mercer Law Review 1117 (2008)
- Co-author, “‘See No Removal, Hear No Removal’: The 11th Circuit’s New Posture on Removal in Lowery v. Alabama Power Co.,” Andrews Class Actions Litigation Reporter (August 2007)
- Author, “Class Actions,” Eleventh Circuit Survey 2006, 58 Mercer Law Review 1171 (2007)
- Author, “Class Actions,” Eleventh Circuit Survey 2005, 57 Mercer Law Review 1031 (2006)
- Author, “There Goes the Neighborhood: Litigating Assumptions of Shopping Center Leases,” Bankruptcy Litigation (Winter 2004)
- Author, “Arbitration: The Plaintiffs' Bar Strikes Back,” 57 Consumer Finance Law 191 (Spring–Fall 2003)
- Author, “Consumer Leasing Act: Litigation Update,” 57 Consumer Finance Law 234 (Spring–Fall 2003)
- Author, “Demystifying Class Certification,” 54 Consumer Finance Law 277 (Fall 2000)
- Author, “Escrows and Bankruptcy,” 48 Business Law 761 (1993)
- Speaker, “Introduction to the New Georgia Evidence Code,” Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia (October 26, 2011)
- Speaker, “The New Georgia Evidence Code,” State Bar of Georgia 2011 Annual Meeting (June 2, 2011)
- Speaker, “Georgia Evidence Code Modernization” State Bar of Georgia 2009 Annual Meeting (June 18, 2009)
- Speaker, Landlord Best Practices Seminar: Strategies for Dealing with Tenant Bankruptcy (May 5, 2009)
- Speaker, “Defending Against Borrower Class Actions in Federal Court–—CAFA, Removal, Certification, Settlement and Beyond,” 8th National Consumer Finance Class Actions and Litigation Conference (January 26, 2009)