As a high school All-American football player from Chicago’s south side, Tom learned the value of hard work and competition at a young age. He earned a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame where he started as a defensive lineman, played on the 1988 National Championship team, and won nominations for Academic All-American and numerous national leadership awards. Although an injury ended his football career, his experiences under famed Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz helped shape a work ethic that has severed him well as a trial lawyer.

Tom left the gridiron in 1989, finished a master’s degree in business as well as law school in 1993. For more than 25 years Tom has represented people in personal injury lawsuits throughout the State of Illinois. He is an accomplished trial lawyer and a tireless advocate for victims of catastrophic injury.

In 2012 Tom studied under America’s most famous trial lawyer, Gerry Spence, at the renowned Trial Lawyer’s College in Wyoming. This continuing commitment to trial skills and the art of advocacy helped Tom set a record jury verdict for emotional damages for injuries in a car crash.

As a founding member of the SCHIFF GORMAN firm, Tom continues to dedicate all his professional time to full and fair compensation for injury victims. He and his partner, Elliot Schiff, have intentionally created a boutique law firm where each client gets the individual attention vital to a successful resolution.

In more recent years, Tom has devoted his personal time to causes he holds dear. A Chairman of the Board of Directors for the John McNicholas Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, he leads a Chicago based team dedicated to research and funding a cure for pediatric brain tumor.

In 2014, Tom started a Leadership Institute for selected high school students in Chicago focusing on the development of leadership skills and raising awareness of pediatric brain tumor.

Tom is a founding board member of the YMCA’s Kelly Hall in West Humboldt Park, a community center that serves as a haven for at-risk youth in Chicago’s west side. The facility provides hot meals, tutoring and after school activities.

For many years, Tom served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Brother Rice High School on Chicago’s south side and continues to serve as Chairman of the Brother Rice Foundation, raising money to ensure the continued viability of one of Chicago’s great college preparatory schools.