Thomas F. Reilly

Tom defends clients in products liability claims, including those involving commercial products such as forklifts, trucks, and other industrial equipment, in addition to consumer claims concerning various small appliances, exploding or defective glass products, food products, etc. He also handles construction accidents involving both workers and bystanders, commercial premises liability (slips, trips, and falls, failure to provide adequate security/ATM assaults or tenant assaults, and the infamous Pier 34 collapse), dram shop liability (hotels, banquet facilities, nightclubs, restaurants, pubs), and both commercial and private vehicular liability.

Tom has a keen interest in trial advocacy, having received a diploma in Teaching Advocacy Skills from the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. For decades, he has been on the faculty of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy’s MidAtlantic Deposition Program, Taking and Defending Depositions, at Temple University School of Law and has served as Team Leader of the Program since 2011. He is also certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, an organization accredited by the American Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in September of 2000 and re-certified in 2005, 2010, and 2015.

In addition to his litigation practice, Tom has sat as a Judge Pro Tem in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in hundreds of cases since 2000.  He also actively serves as a private mediator and arbitrator in a variety of matters involving personal injury, property damage, insurance, commercial and contractual claims. Tom is highly regarded for his ability to understand complex disputes and evaluate them fairly.

Notably,Tom has been named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® by Philadelphia Magazine every year since 2006.

A frequent lecturer, Tom has given numerous client and group-specific presentations to organizations such as the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel and the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters on defense and trial tactics.

Prior to joining the firm, Tom was a partner with a well-known regional insurance defense firm. Prior to that, he was a founding partner and shareholder at Gallagher, Reilly and Lachat.