Tom is a classic commercial litigator who has handled everything from a nuclear power plant valuation challenge to the defense of a trademark infringement claim against the Weekly World News. He has been counsel in more than 220 reported decisions. Tom appears regularly in state and federal trial and appellate courts, but is best known as an advocate for free speech rights of both large and small clients. Early in his career, he persuaded the Florida Supreme Court to enjoin Sunshine Law violations by the University of Florida College of Law. He later defended a national television network, a local television station, and a national magazine against multimillion dollar libel claims. Most recently he led challenges in three New England states against laws restraining the speech of major healthcare companies and defended a national news reporter subpoenaed to testify in a high-profile Texas criminal case.
Since Tom began practice in south Florida in 1981, speech rights have become increasingly important as new technology has empowered both companies and individuals to collect and publish information on a massive scale. This has created an unprecedented need for legal advice concerning libel and privacy, information access, data breaches, the Communications Decency Act, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the constitutionality of local, state and federal laws regulating information and advertising, social networking, and all things digital. These needs are what are driving Tom's practice now.
Tom is admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court, the US Courts of Appeals for the First, Second and Eleventh Circuits, and all US District Courts in Florida and the District of Columbia.