Tom has been actively involved in Administrative Law issues since 1986 when he was among the first five people appointed to serve as a North Carolina Administrative Law Judge. While serving as an ALJ, he heard a number of cases involving health care and environmental penalties and licensure.

Since joining Poyner Spruill, Tom has focused on health care penalty and licensure cases, occupational licensure cases (Medicine, Nursing, Psychology, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Funeral, Alarm Systems), rulemaking proceedings before the North Carolina Rules Review Commission, and representation of County governments.   Tom also lobbies in the General Assembly.

He represents two county governments in opposing the Navy's effort to site an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) in northeastern N.C. He successfully coordinated the efforts of the North Carolina Chamber in defeating the State Department of Labor's ergonomics rule and represented the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency in successfully defending the low-income housing tax credit program. 

Tom is actively involved as a mediator of personal injury, environmental penalty, alleged wrongful death, construction defect, medical and nursing home negligence cases.

Prior Legal Experience

In 1986, Tom was among the first five people appointed to serve as a North Carolina Administrative Law Judge.  He served in that position until May 1997 when he left to join Poyner Spruill. 


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