Thomas J. Zagami . . . .
Summary of Legal Experience
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| Thomas J. Zagami |
A graduate of The George Washington University Law School, Tom is licensed and practices regularly in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. He has been representing companies and individuals in business litigation, business services (including real estate development), and government relations for more than 30 years. A list of Representative Cases that he has handled in more recent years is included on this website.
Tom is also frequently hired by higher net worth individuals to personally navigate them through the intricacies of over-lapping legal, business and personal issues, both in court and outside of it. Since most clients do not have the time to focus on the day-to-day nuances of legal problems, of which there can be many, he frequently serves as the client's "general counsel" to develop, implement and manage a comprehensive strategy for them so they can concentrate on other aspects of their business and life.
Throughout his career, Tom has been recognized for his skill as both a trial lawyer and a business lawyer. Thus, he is well equipped to determine whether to use litigation, business strategies or a combination of both to effectively and efficiently address the issues impacting his clients. This formula has lead to repeated success for Tom's clients – whether in litigation before federal and state courts, in regulatory matters before government agencies, in arbitrations and mediations, and in business transactions and negotiations.
AV® Preeminent™ and Other Recognition
Tom also has been selected for membership into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum™, The Top Trial Lawyers In America™, which is a national organization whose membership is limited to attorneys who have demonstrated their skill, experience and excellence in advocacy by winning million dollar or more verdicts and settlements. Having obtained such results for clients multiple times throughout his career, Tom was pleased to be recognized by the organization.
More recently, since 2012, Tom has been selected each year to Washington D.C. and Baltimore’s Top Rated Lawyers™ as published in the Wall Street Journal and/or the Washington Post. He has been named a Top Rated Lawyer in commercial litigation, business services and government permits. He was featured on page 4 of the 2012 Edition (click to view). Since 2014, Baltimore Magazine has named Tom to its list of Top Attorneys in Maryland.
In addition, Tom has been named repeatedly to Super Lawyers®, a select list of attorneys who have demonstrated excellence in the practice of law, including in 2022. Super Lawyers® selects attorneys using a rigorous, multistage process in which peer nominations and evaluations are combined with independent research. It is a limited list of no more than 5 percent of licensed attorneys. Tom was featured in the 2022 Edition (click to view).
Throughout his career, including in 2021, Tom also has been named repeatedly as a Top Rated Lawyer in ALM's Legal Leaders as published in The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, The National Law Journal, etc.
Bar Admissions
Tom is admitted to each of the following jurisdictions and courts:
- Maryland
- Pennsylvania
- District of Columbia
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
In
addition, Tom has been and can be specially admitted to other
jurisdictions and courts for specific cases. In the past, for example,
he has been admitted in Florida, Kentucky, and Virginia for specific
cases.
Education
The George Washington University National Law Center,
J.D.West Chester University of Pennsylvania
School of Business and Public Affairs
Chester County Master Planner Program
Certificate of Completion
University of Maryland at College Park,
B.A., Government and Politics (Pre-Law)
St. John's College High School, Washington, D.C.
The Formation of Thomas J. Zagami, P.A.
Recognizing changes in the way that clients wanted legal services provided, Tom responded by establishing his own firm to have the flexibility to tailor the terms of each attorney-client relationship to fit the specific priorities of each client. It also allowed Tom to avoid the inefficiencies sometimes inherent in large firms. Thomas J. Zagami, P.A. is a reflection of Tom's belief, instilled in him very early in his career, that a client's interests should always come first.
Of Counsel Relationship
Thomas J. Zagami, P.A. maintains an Of-Counsel relationship with Pessin Katz Law, P.A. (http://www.pklaw.com/). The Of-Counsel relationship provides Tom’s firm with ready access to other attorneys and resources in further support of its clients -- on an as-needed basis and on terms acceptable to Thomas J. Zagami, P.A. and its clients. Pessin Katz Law, P.A. can provide the clients of Thomas J. Zagami, P.A. with additional legal services not typically provided by Thomas J. Zagami, P.A. itself, in practice areas such as: labor law (management side); medical malpractice defense; white collar criminal defense; elder care; and estate planning.
Prior Employment
Prior to forming Thomas J. Zagami, P.A., Tom was an associate and a partner at respected law firms in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The first nine years of Tom's legal career were spent litigating alongside Arnold M. Weiner, who Tom still refers to as his legal mentor and credits with teaching him the sound fundamentals upon which Tom has continued his career. Those years afforded Tom the rare opportunity early in a lawyer's career to fine tune litigation skills in a myriad of complex and high profile cases.
What You Might Not Know About Tom
Even if you know Tom, you might not know this. On July 19, 2013, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent (United States Patent No. 8,479,367) to Tom and his brother-in-law for an automotive tool designed to separate spark plugs from their boot, without causing damage to the spark plug boot. The patent contains seven (7) protected claims. They are in the process of finding interested manufacturers or licensees to produce and sell the tool.
In addition, Tom is also a licensed real estate broker in Maryland.
