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Biography

Tom Wolfe is a trial attorney and commercial litigator whose practice is focused on complex business cases including product liability, oil and gas, mass tort and class action defense. Tom has tried cases in state and federal court in various matters, including product liability cases (pharmaceutical and automotive), oil and gas and various commercial claims, including arbitration of securities cases. He has also been involved in the defense of class actions, including certification hearings and mass tort litigation.

Tom has been on the Board of Directors and was formerly Chair of the Trial Practice Section of the Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel and is a Master of the William J. Holloway, Jr. American Inn of Court. Tom also served as a speaker at the Oklahoma Association of Defense Annual Trial School (2006, 2007) and received the Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel Distinguished Service Award (2006). He also previously served as the President/Managing Partner for the Firm.

Tom co-authored An Overview of Oklahoma Product Liability Law, 86 OKLA B. J. 830 (2015), Kirkland v. General Motors Corporation and Beyond: An Overview of Twenty Years of Oklahoma Product Liability Law, 65 OKLA. B.J. 3593 (1994) and, An Overview of Oklahoma Product Liability Law, 73 OKLA. B.J. 2231 (2002), the latter of which won the Oklahoma Bar Journal “Golden Quill Award.”

He is a member of Defense Research Institute, ALFA International, American Bar Association, Oklahoma County Bar Association and Oklahoma Bar Association, where he served on the Board of Directors of the Young Lawyers Division (1990 – 1991). He also acted as a regular legal columnist for The Journal Record, Oklahoma City’s daily business newspaper.

Tom was born and raised in Oklahoma City.

Education

  • University of Oklahoma (B.S., 1980; J.D., with Honors, 1985)

Admissions

  • 1985, Oklahoma
  • 1989, U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • 1989, U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma

Professional Organizations

  • William J. Holloway, Jr. American Inn of Court (Master)
  • Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel (Board of Directors, Chair, Trial Practice Section, Speaker, OADC Trial School, 8-2006, and Recipient, OADC Distinguished Service Award, 2006)
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
  • Oklahoma County Bar Association
  • Oklahoma Bar Association (Board of Directors, Young Lawyers Division, 1990-1991)
  • American Bar Association

Experience

  • Represented pharmaceutical, automotive, heavy equipment, protective body armor and transportation clients in traumatic injury and wrongful death cases
  • Represented defendant clients in a number of class action certification hearings involving a major automotive manufacturer, the manufacturer of protective armor used by police departments, and pharmaceutical product manufacturers and commercial settings
  • Lead defense counsel on a team of Oklahoma attorneys representing the manufacturer in the largest national pharmaceutical litigation in history
  • Tried to a successful verdict in federal court, a complex oil and gas case involving a faulty cement job, which precluded completion by the client/operator of a well in uphole zones
  • Represented oil and gas companies in a variety of industry type cases, including gas balancing, JOA disputes, mineral owner disputes, surface damages claims and catastrophic injury cases
  • Represented automobile dealerships in all facets of their business, including real estate, purchases of other dealerships, employment matters and various forms of consumer litigation
  • Tried media dispute cases involving First Amendment rights
  • Obtained judgment for his clients in a dispute between a developer of an upscale housing addition and the homeowners
  • Tried to successful verdict in Oklahoma state court in an oil and gas case involving a dispute over an overriding royalty interest
  • Trial to verdict a dispute between a national commercial real estate landlord and a national retail tenant related to a flood
  • Handled with co-counsel a major constitutional dispute related to alcohol distribution laws in Oklahoma
  • Represented the Oklahoma Bar Association in a dispute related to the constitutionality of mandatory bar dues
  • Represents a start-up fintech company on all legal matters

Recognition

  • Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™
  • Best Lawyers®: Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2013-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Commercial Litigation (2008-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Bet-the-Company Litigation (2010-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants (2013-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Oil and Gas Law (2019-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Lawyer of the Year in OKC – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2017, 2019)
  • Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters (2006-present)
  • Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters: Best of the Best – Top 50 (2013-2015, 2018)
  • Best Lawyers®: Lawyer of the Year in OKC – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants (2013)
  • 405 Magazine Top Attorney in Commercial Litigation (2020-2023)

Community

  • Village Animal League (Volunteer)

Publications

Tom Wolfe is a trial attorney and commercial litigator whose practice is focused on complex business cases including product liability, oil and gas, mass tort and class action defense. Tom has tried cases in state and federal court in various matters, including product liability cases (pharmaceutical and automotive), oil and gas and various commercial claims, including arbitration of securities cases. He has also been involved in the defense of class actions, including certification hearings and mass tort litigation.

Tom has been on the Board of Directors and was formerly Chair of the Trial Practice Section of the Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel and is a Master of the William J. Holloway, Jr. American Inn of Court. Tom also served as a speaker at the Oklahoma Association of Defense Annual Trial School (2006, 2007) and received the Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel Distinguished Service Award (2006). He also previously served as the President/Managing Partner for the Firm.

Tom co-authored An Overview of Oklahoma Product Liability Law, 86 OKLA B. J. 830 (2015), Kirkland v. General Motors Corporation and Beyond: An Overview of Twenty Years of Oklahoma Product Liability Law, 65 OKLA. B.J. 3593 (1994) and, An Overview of Oklahoma Product Liability Law, 73 OKLA. B.J. 2231 (2002), the latter of which won the Oklahoma Bar Journal “Golden Quill Award.”

He is a member of Defense Research Institute, ALFA International, American Bar Association, Oklahoma County Bar Association and Oklahoma Bar Association, where he served on the Board of Directors of the Young Lawyers Division (1990 – 1991). He also acted as a regular legal columnist for The Journal Record, Oklahoma City’s daily business newspaper.

Tom was born and raised in Oklahoma City.

  • University of Oklahoma (B.S., 1980; J.D., with Honors, 1985)
  • 1985, Oklahoma
  • 1989, U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • 1989, U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma
  • William J. Holloway, Jr. American Inn of Court (Master)
  • Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel (Board of Directors, Chair, Trial Practice Section, Speaker, OADC Trial School, 8-2006, and Recipient, OADC Distinguished Service Award, 2006)
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
  • Oklahoma County Bar Association
  • Oklahoma Bar Association (Board of Directors, Young Lawyers Division, 1990-1991)
  • American Bar Association
  • Represented pharmaceutical, automotive, heavy equipment, protective body armor and transportation clients in traumatic injury and wrongful death cases
  • Represented defendant clients in a number of class action certification hearings involving a major automotive manufacturer, the manufacturer of protective armor used by police departments, and pharmaceutical product manufacturers and commercial settings
  • Lead defense counsel on a team of Oklahoma attorneys representing the manufacturer in the largest national pharmaceutical litigation in history
  • Tried to a successful verdict in federal court, a complex oil and gas case involving a faulty cement job, which precluded completion by the client/operator of a well in uphole zones
  • Represented oil and gas companies in a variety of industry type cases, including gas balancing, JOA disputes, mineral owner disputes, surface damages claims and catastrophic injury cases
  • Represented automobile dealerships in all facets of their business, including real estate, purchases of other dealerships, employment matters and various forms of consumer litigation
  • Tried media dispute cases involving First Amendment rights
  • Obtained judgment for his clients in a dispute between a developer of an upscale housing addition and the homeowners
  • Tried to successful verdict in Oklahoma state court in an oil and gas case involving a dispute over an overriding royalty interest
  • Trial to verdict a dispute between a national commercial real estate landlord and a national retail tenant related to a flood
  • Handled with co-counsel a major constitutional dispute related to alcohol distribution laws in Oklahoma
  • Represented the Oklahoma Bar Association in a dispute related to the constitutionality of mandatory bar dues
  • Represents a start-up fintech company on all legal matters
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™
  • Best Lawyers®: Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2013-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Commercial Litigation (2008-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Bet-the-Company Litigation (2010-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants (2013-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Oil and Gas Law (2019-present)
  • Best Lawyers®: Lawyer of the Year in OKC – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2017, 2019)
  • Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters (2006-present)
  • Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters: Best of the Best – Top 50 (2013-2015, 2018)
  • Best Lawyers®: Lawyer of the Year in OKC – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants (2013)
  • 405 Magazine Top Attorney in Commercial Litigation (2020-2023)
  • Village Animal League (Volunteer)

ALFA International Member

Phillips Murrah is a member of ALFA International, the global legal network. With 145 member firms across the globe (80 in the United States), ALFA International is the premier global network of independent law firms whose success is driven by broad, deep, local relationships all over the world. Click HERE for an informational video about ALFA International, or visit www.alfainternational.com to learn more.