Biography

Tom Weaver’s significant litigation experience includes serving as lead trial and appellate counsel in commercial, product liability, insurance and eminent domain litigation matters in both state and federal courts in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas.

Appellate
As leader of the Litigation practice group's Appellate practice area, Tom knows that winning a case on appeal requires more than just citing the right legal precedent. He has implemented sophisticated post-trial strategies that weave persuasive arguments with legal and policy reasoning in over 150 appeals. Tom has appeared before the Supreme Court of Missouri, Missouri Court of Appeals, Illinois Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Eighth, Seventh, Fourth, Tenth and D.C. Circuits.

In 1999, Tom was elected as a fellow in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and was a member of the board of directors of that organization from 2015 to 2017.  He served as president of the Eighth Circuit Bar Association in 2007.

Commercial
Involved in every part of the action, Tom vigorously represents clients in a variety of commercial cases, involving issues ranging from individual or small firm contractual disputes to complex corporate transactions.

Insurance
For both large insurance companies and their insured, Tom helps resolve coverage issues arising from both first-party and third-party claims.

Eminent Domain
Tom counsels and represents municipalities, utility service providers and other condemning authorities, as well as property owners, regarding eminent domain procedures for all types of uses. He is involved at all stages of the process, from initial negotiations and the preparation of and response to statutory offer letters through jury trials on exceptions.

Active in the profession, Tom was appointed by the Supreme Court of Missouri to a five-year term as a member of the Missouri Board of Law Examiners in 1999. In 2004, he was reappointed to an additional six-year term and was president of the board from 2006 to 2008.

Education

  • Saint Louis University School of Law  (J.D., magna cum laude, 1978)
    • Order of the Woolsack
  • Duke University  (B.A., magna cum laude, 1974)
    • Phi Beta Kappa

Admissions

  • Missouri, 1978
  • Illinois, 1979
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit

Professional Activities

  • The Missouri Bar 
  • American Academy of Appellate Lawyers (Fellow) 
  • Missouri Board of Law Examiners (1999-2010)
  • Eighth Circuit Bar Association (President, Board of Directors, 2007) 
  • Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers
  • Illinois State Bar Association

Accolades

  • Missouri Lawyers Weekly Power List for Appellate Law (2022-present)
  • Lawyer of the Year, Missouri Lawyers Weekly (2020)
  • Benchmark Litigation, Local Litigation Star, Appellate (2019-present)
  • The Best Lawyers in America® Appellate Law and Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law (2007-present), Bet the Company Litigation (2018-present); Lawyer of the Year (2019, 2021, 2022)
  • Influential Appellate Advocate Award, Missouri Lawyers Weekly (2014)
  • Selected as a 2012 Top Rated Lawyer in Commercial Litigation by Martindale-Hubbell and American Lawyer Media (ALM)
  • American Academy of Appellate Lawyers (Fellow)
  • Appointed by the Supreme Court of Missouri to two terms as a member of the Missouri Board of Law Examiners
  • Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers® (2005-present); Super Lawyers®, Business Edition (2011-2014); Super Lawyers®, Top 100 Missouri & Kansas (2010-2013, 2021); Super Lawyers®, Top 50 St. Louis (2010-present)
  • Honored by Missouri Lawyers Weekly as 2008 Missouri's Best Brief Writer
  • AV® Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

Background

Prior to joining the firm, Tom served as a law clerk to Judge James Reinhard on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District. Before attending law school, he taught high school English in Alleghany County, Virginia.

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