Serving the Plaintiff Bar with Research, Writing, and Advocacy for All Your Litigation Needs

If you give Tom a problem, you can expect an unconventional and creative solution. It’s little wonder that Tom is so skilled at seeing the big picture before zeroing in on a novel argument. For thirty-one years, Tom wore multiple hats as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The breadth of his experience is extraordinary. All told, Tom spent nine years as an AUSA in the office’s Criminal Division, prosecuting everything from immigration and tax violations to major narcotics conspiracies as a member of the office’s Drug Task Force. Tom spent the bulk of his impressive career as an AUSA in the Civil Division, first as a line AUSA and, ultimately for the last ten years of his federal career, as Chief of the Civil Division. From 1997 to 2003, Tom served as the office’s asset forfeiture and money laundering coordinator and continued to consult on these issues until his departure in 2013.

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Tom brings a wealth of knowledge about the inner workings of the United States Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice, and the Executive Office of United States Attorneys. With his vast experience both in the Criminal Division and the Civil Division, Tom is one of the few attorneys in the state fluent in the extent—and, more importantly, the limits—of the federal government’s power both to prosecute on the criminal side and to seize assets and to recover civil penalties on the civil side.

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Tom has defended the United States against employment discrimination claims and in actions based on the Federal Tort Claims Act, Bivens, and the Freedom of Information Act. He is extremely well-versed in the procedure for obtaining subpoenas from government agencies and has litigated both bankruptcy and Qui Tam/False Claims Act cases. Tom is also familiar with the complicated disciplinary process before the Department of Justice and the Merit Systems Protection Board.

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Tom has argued myriad cases before the United States Fifth Circuit. As Civil Chief, he frequently participated in moot courts to prepare AUSAs for oral arguments. He has tried over twenty jury trials in federal court and too many judge trials to count.

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Tom has an "AV" rating on Martindale-Hubbell.

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Tom is a master strategist and tremendously gifted writer (who taught his daughter everything he knows). If you have a complex civil or criminal matter in federal court, you will definitely want Tom on your team.

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Tom is admitted in Louisiana, Mississippi (currently inactive), and all federal courts in the state of Louisiana.

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Legal Experience

United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana

• Assistant United States Attorney, Chief, Civil Division, February 2003 to January 2013

• Assistant United States Attorney, Chief, Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering, 1998 to 2004

• Assistant United States Attorney, Civil Division, 1985 to 1997

• Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Division, 1982 to 1985

• Instructor/Group Leader, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Legal Education

  • Taught Seminars on Civil Trial Advocacy, Advanced Civil Trial Advocacy, Appellate Advocacy, Federal Subpoena Litigation, Immunity/Liability of Federal Officers, Affirmative Civil Enforcement, Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering, DEA Civil Penalties, and Stafford Act Federal Immunity

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Judicial Experience

United States District Court Eastern District of Louisiana

• Law Clerk, Honorable Marcel Livaudais, Jr., 1979 to 1981

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Education

 

• Tulane University School of Law, J.D. (1979)

• Tulane University, B.A., History, cum laude (1976)

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Sample of Reported Civil Cases

• Oakbrook Village Associates v. Cisneros, 25 F. Supp. 2d 730 (E.D. La. 1998) (Administrative Procedure Act; Tucker Act)

• Ida Jackson v. U.S., 1992 WL 298040 (E.D.La.) (Federal Tort Claims Act)

• U.S.A. v. Compumed, Inc., 1991 WL 72777 (E.D.La.) (Civil Penalties)

• State v. Smith, 1993 WL 192206 (E.D.La.) (Subpoena Litigation)

• U.S.A. v. Dear, 1993 WL 70000 (E.D.La.) (Federal Tort Claims Act; Course and Scope)

• Bernard v. U.S.A., 794 F. Supp 608 (E.D.La. 1991) (Federal Tort Claims Act)

• Michael Roach v. U.S.A., 1993 WL 370627 (E.D.La.) (Federal Tort Claims Act)

• Quynh Nguyen v. JPSO, 1992 W: 91925 (E.D.La.) (Subpoena Litigation)  

• U.S.A. v. Clinical Leasing, Inc., et al., 759 F. Supp. 310 (E.D.La. 1990), 925 F. 2d 120 (5th Cir., 1991) (Civil Penalties)

• U.S.A. v. Clinical Leasing, Soll, Brinkley, 982 F.2d 900 (5th Cir., 1992) (Corporate Disregard)

• State v. Sparks, 978 F.2d 226 (5th Cir., 1992) (Subpoena Litigation)

• Olsen v. H.U.D., 1995 WL 686762 (E.D.L.A.) (Subpoena; Right to Financial Privacy Act)

• Jerry Charles v. U.S.A., 7 F.2d 78, vacated at 15 F.3d 400 (5th Cir., 1994) (Federal Tort Claims Act; Statutory Employer)

• John A. Romano, Jr. v. U.S.A., 1994 WL 479096 (E.D.La.) (Federal Tort Claims Act)

• Kathleen Norwood v. U.S.A., 1992 WL 59440 (E.D.La.) (Medical Malpractice)

• U.S.A. v. Grewell, 1997 WL 346717, 1997 WL 599302 (E.D.La. 1997) (Pendent Personal Jurisdiction; Equity Skimming)

• U.S.A. v. Soll, 1994 WL 715609 (E.D.La. 1994) (Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act; Fraudulent Transfer)

• Butler v. U.S.DA., 826 F.2d 409 (5th Cur., 1987) (Employment Discrimination)

• Armstrong v. Tisch, 835 F.2d 1139 (5th Cir., 1988) (Employment Discrimination and Limitation of Actions)

• Mocklin v. Orleans Levee District, 677 F.Supp. 527 (E.D.La. 1988), affirmed, 877 F.2d 427 (5th Cir., 1989) (Discretionary Function; Independent Contractor; Flood Control Act)

• In re Dyer, 95-1939 “T” (E.D.LA., 1996), affirmed, 132 F.3d 1455 (5th Cir. 1997) Table No. 96-31147); cert. denied, 523 U.S. 1075 (1998) (Attorney Disciplinary Prosecution)

• U.S.A. v. $21,044, 1998 WL 213762 (E.D.La.) (Civil Forfeiture; Motion to Strike)

• Curtis v. Shivers, 674 F.Supp. 1237 (E.D.La., 1987) (Federal Tort Claims Act)

• Mott v. River Parish Maintenance, Inc., 417 So. 2d 384 (La. App. 4th, 1982), affirmed in part, reversed in part, 432 So. 2d 827 (La. 1983) (Worker’s Compensation)