Tom Cartmell is a founding partner of his firm and a leading trial attorney for individuals, businesses and public entities in cases pending across the United States. He has been appointed by federal judges to leadership in over a dozen MDL matters throughout the United States and is widely recognized for his trial skills.
Tom’s cases span a broad spectrum from high-profile, mass tort MDL matters involving dangerous medications, defective products, public health or other complex issues, to commercial disputes involving economic injuries, to high-exposure catastrophic injury cases. He has recovered more than a billion dollars for clients in jury verdicts and settlements. He is regularly chosen to act as lead counsel in major trials. Recently, in the JUUL MDL before Judge Orrick, Tom was co-lead trial counsel for the San Francisco Unified School District in a three-week jury trial against tobacco giant Altria Group. As reported by Law 360, Altria agreed to a $235 million global settlement. In addition, an earlier settlement with Juul Labs and several directors and major investors was reported by the New York Times and Wall Street Journal to be around $1.7 billion dollars. Tom also served as lead plaintiffs’ trial counsel in the first bellwether jury trial in Pensacola, Florida, in In re 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 2885), obtaining a verdict of more than $7.4 million on behalf of three, injured plaintiffs.
Described by Chambers as “a top-notch lawyer” for his representation of plaintiffs in contentious matters, Tom has a long history of achieving top-notch results in high stakes matters. Tom has been appointed recently to serve on Plaintiffs’ Executive Committees in In Re: T-Mobile Customer Data Security Breach Litigation (MDL No. 3073, W.D. Mo) and in In Re: Bard Implanted Port Catheter Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 3081, D. Az.). Also, he has been named to Plaintiffs’ Steering Committees in In Re: Hair Relaxer Marketing Sales Practices and Product Liability Litigation (MDL No. 3060, N.D. Ill.) and in Social Media Cases (JCCP No. 5255 Cal. Super. Ct.). Tom also serves on the Local Government Entities Sub-Committee in In Re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 3047, N.D.Cal.)
Tom has been selected for membership in many prestigious, invitation-only trial lawyer organizations, including the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. In 2024, Tom was recognized by Lawdragon as one of its 500 Leading Lawyers in America and one of its 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America. Tom is a multiple time recipient of Best Lawyers of America’s “Lawyer of the Year” Award and is listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. He holds the Martindale-Hubble peer review rating of AV Preeminent.
Tom has also been recognized locally for his achievements as a trial lawyer. He is the Past President of the Kansas City Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). In 2001, Tom received the Thomas J. Conway Award from the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, recognizing a lawyer with courage and zeal for the client and a collegial attitude toward fellow lawyers. In 2003, based upon the recommendation of State Court Judges, Tom received the Lon O. Hocker award as one of three outstanding trial lawyers in Missouri. He also received honors as a Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyer from 2006 to present. The Kansas City Business Journal has recognized Tom as “Best of the Bar” more than 15 times. Tom served as the Municipal Judge for the City of Mission Hills, Kansas for 16 years, and served as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at the University of Kansas Law School for eight years.
