Biography

Powerful Advocacy

Tom maintains a renowned litigation practice representing businesses and individuals in all aspects of complex litigation. He is one of Ohio’s most respected and experienced litigators and has consistently received accolades for his work as a trial lawyer.

  • 2020, 2019, 2018: Tom continues to receive the ranking of a Band 1 attorney in Litigation from Chambers USA, now one of only seven attorneys in Ohio to do so. Chambers describes him as offering "keen insights and outstanding representation in high-value commercial disputes, calling upon a long track record of success in the area."
  • 2017, 2016: Tom was ranked as a Band 1 attorney in Litigation by Chambers USA, Chambers’ highest ranking. Tom is one of only eight business litigators in all of Ohio to receive Chambers’ Band 1 rating in 2016. Chambers stated: “Impressed clients refer to him as ‘the definition of thoroughness.’” This is the third year in a row that Tom has received a Band 1 rating from Chambers.
  • 2015, 2014: Tom’s Band 1 rankings by Chambers in 2014 and 2015 were accompanied by the following editorial comment from Chambers: “The very, very impressive Hill has more than 35 years’ experience in business litigation and intellectual property disputes. He recently acted on a dispute arising from a merger; the case concluded successfully with a verdict worth $18 million.” Tom was one of seven Ohio lawyers ranked as Band 1 in 2015 and 2014. 
  • 2013: Tom was ranked as one of the top five litigators in Columbus. He was featured in Columbus CEO magazine in its April 2013 issue.
  • 2012: Chambers USA ranked Tom as a “Band 1” litigator — Chambers’ highest ranking. Only one other business litigator in Columbus (and a total of only six business litigators in all of Ohio) received Chambers’ Band 1 rating. Chambers stated that: "The highly respected Thomas Hill is called a ‘great business lawyer’ by sources, who unanimously agree that he is deserving of top-tier recognition."
  • 2011: Tom was honored by The Best Lawyers in America® as "Lawyer of the Year" in Columbus as a Bet-the-Company litigator.
  • 2009: Tom was ranked as one of the Top 10 Attorneys in Ohio by Law & Politics magazine.
  • 2008: Chambers USA reported that Hill is “widely regarded as ‘one of the finest litigators in Columbus on business matters.’”
  • 2004: Chambers USA recognized Tom for his skills in the courtroom, describing him as a “tenacious litigator.”
  • 1998 to Present: Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
  • 1994 to Present: Tom is one of a distinguished group of attorneys who have been listed every year in The Best Lawyers in America® since its inception. 

These accolades are the result of a number of hallmarks of Tom’s practice. First, Tom has always believed that clients come first. Their interests drive his work, and achieving their goals in the most efficient and effective way is his “north star.” To achieve the client’s goals, Tom stays in close contact with every client every step of the way. Second, Tom believes that powerful advocacy is the product of a thorough understanding of the facts and the law presented to a court or jury in a way that is both logically sound and pleasing in tone. Third, Tom believes that powerful advocacy is what brings about favorable settlements. Tom keeps a constant eye out for opportunities to resolve cases short of trial, if that can be reasonably done.

Representative Cases

Tom concentrates on the representation of business clients of all sizes, including Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit agencies. In November 2012, he obtained an $18 million judgment in favor of his clients against a publicly traded company arising out of a breach of merger agreement. He has obtained a $20 million settlement on behalf of a publicly traded company against an investment banking firm for breach of fiduciary duty. He successfully defended a Fortune 100 company in a $500 million claim that was tried to a jury in federal court. In a widely-publicized national dispute, he represented Donatos Pizza Inc. in successful prosecution of trademark infringement claim involving Donatos' "Edge to Edge" trademark. He successfully defended a pension fund in a lawsuit in federal court that had industry-wide implications for the trucking industry. He obtained summary judgment for McDonald’s Corporation in a race discrimination in employment case in federal court in Columbus. He defended The Ohio State University in a lawsuit brought by the survivors of a college freshman who was killed in an elevator accident on the university campus.

Practice Areas

Education

  • Cornell University Law School (J.D., 1970)
  • Grinnell College (B.A., 1967)

Bar Admissions

  • Ohio
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association, member
  • American College of Trial Lawyers, National Moot Court Competition Committee, national chairman
  • American Inns of Court, Duncan chapter, past member
  • Columbus Bar Association, member
  • Columbus Bar Foundation, immediate past president
  • Litigation Counsel of America, fellow
  • Ohio State Bar Association, member

Special Honors

  • Recognized as a Senior Statespeople in Litigation by Chambers USA, 2021-2023
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® since 1993
  • Recognized as a Senior Statespeople in Litigation by Chambers USA, 2021-2022
  • Recognized as a Band 1 attorney in Litigation by Chambers USA, 2012-2020
  • Selected as the 2011 “Lawyer of the Year” in Columbus in the area of Bet-the-Company Litigation by The Best Lawyers in America®
  • Martindale-Hubbell Rating of AV Preeminent®
  • Selected to the Ohio Super Lawyers list
  • Selected to the “Top 10 Ohio” and “Top 50 Columbus” lists by Super Lawyers

Charitable + Civic Involvement

  • The Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, Board of Directors, Chair

Publications + Presentations

  • Co-Author: Federal Civil Procedure and Evidence During Trial– 6th Circuit, a two volume treatise on trial practice in the federal courts in the Sixth Circuit, with co-authors Honorable Samuel H. Bell, Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and Alfred H. Knight, of Willis & Knight of Nashville, Tennessee. Published in 1996 by Lawyers’ Cooperative Publishing Company.
  • Selected by the federal court in Columbus as one of a small group of leading trial lawyers to participate in a demonstration trial in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio sponsored by the Federal Bar Association, the purpose of which was to demonstrate exemplary trial skills to those who try cases in federal court in Columbus. Mr. Hill conducted the cross-examination of the defendant.
  • Selected as one of eight Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers to present a demonstration jury trial at the 2004 national meeting of the Federal Bar Association in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Hill delivered the closing argument for the prosecution.