Tom Duffy oversees all cases handled by the attorneys of the firm, which include motor vehicle accidents, trucking accidents, construction accidents, product liability, premises liability, medical malpractice, birth injury, spinal cord injury, emergency room injury, other personal injury and aviation disasters.
Tom founded the firm over a quarter of a century ago, when he left a promising career at a large Philadelphia firm to establish his own practice, a practice that has developed into a very experienced and respected group of partners and staff with one singular focus?helping individuals and families who are the victims of catastrophic injury.
Tom has received countless distinctions, awards and titles as testimony to his work and influence in the legal community, and most notably and recently:
Being selected in 2016 as the sole "Lawyer of the Year" for Plaintiffs Personal Injury Litigation in Philadelphia
Being listed annually in the Super Lawyers Top 100 in Pennsylvania/Top 100 in Philadelphia and ascending to the "Top Ten in Pennsylvania" list for 2016 and 2017
He has also been recognized for his high professional legal standards and ethics, rated "AV" by LexisNexis Martindale Hubbell, and listed in LexisNexis Martindale Hubbell's Bar Register of Preeminent lawyers.
A respected attorney in his field who has successfully argued before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Tom authored the closing chapter of the 2003 book "Medical-Legal Aspects of Pain and Suffering," and is a lecturer who has given many educational presentations on trial practice.
In 2016, he was selected to deliver the prestigious "Kolsby Lecture" to students and faculty of Temple University's James E. Beasley School of Law. He has been called to appear before the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania House Insurance Subcommittee to discuss legislation involving medical malpractice claims in Pennsylvania, and also addressed the Medical Legal Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association on how to maintain credibility and control in court. He also served with distinction as President of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association and was named in 2015 to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Judicial Selection Commission.
Tom dedicates thousands of hours to a number of charitable causes, including Magee Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation (he is a member of the Board of Trustees and was honored with the Magee "Champion in the Community" award in 2009), the Irish American Cultural Institute of Philadelphia, HelpHOPELive (formerly NTAF, who named him a "Community Hero" in 2010) and the Homeless Advocacy Project.
In 2012, Tom established the prestigious "Duffy Fellowship," which provides funds to underwrite a staff attorney at several legal service organizations in Philadelphia, including the Legal Clinic for the Disabled, Community Legal Services, and the Homeless Advocacy Project. In 2012, the Legal Clinic for the Disabled recognized his contributions through the fellowship by giving Tom its esteemed "Special Recognition Award." In 2014 the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania also recognized the work of the Duffy Fellow in the Philadelphia Latino community by honoring Tom with its prestigious "La Justicia" award. In 2015 Community Legal Services (CLS) also celebrated his renowned philanthropy with its prestigious "Champion of Justice" award.
Outside of the office, Tom is a licensed and skilled commercial pilot (multi-engine, land, sea, instrument, Corsair, B-25, P47, Spitfire and TBM type certificates) who participates annually in air shows all over the country, such as the Atlantic City Airshow, the Mid Atlantic Air Museum's World War II Weekend, the Millville Air Museum's Annual Fly-In, the Doolittle Raiders reunion and many other aviation celebrations. In 2009, he took part in a special ceremony to open the Indianapolis 500, soaring over the speedway in his vintage B-25 Mitchell Bomber "Take Off Time" during the singing of the "Star Spangled Banner" as the crowd of spectators roared.
Marist College (B.A., cum laude) Temple University (J.D.)
Pennsylvania New Jersey United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania United States District Court for the District of New Jersey United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
National Trial Lawyers Association: Top 100 (2011-present) Pennsylvania Super Lawyers (Included in overall list from 2004-present; Selected to 2016 and 2017 "Top Ten in Pennsylvania" list; Included 2007-present in "Top 100 Lawyers in Philadelphia" list; Included 2007-present in "Top 100 in Pennsylvania" list) The Best Lawyers in America (Included in overall list since 2003; Sole 2016 attorney named "Lawyer of the Year" for Plaintiffs Personal Injury Litigation in Philadelphia; Annual "Tier 1" firm ranking for Personal Injury Litigation in Philadelphia) VerdictSearch Top Pennsylvania Verdicts of 2015 (noted as the single largest Premises Liability settlement in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in all of 2015) Community Legal Services "Champion of Justice" (2015) The Legal Intelligencer PaLaw Largest Awards and Settlements of 2014 Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania La Justicia Award (2014) The Legal Intelligencer PaLaw Largest Awards and Settlements of 2013 Philadelphia Business Journal Largest Legal Judgements of 2013 VerdictSearch Top Pennsylvania Verdicts of 2013 Legal Clinic for the Disabled "Special Recognition Award" (2012) VerdictSearch Top Pennsylvania Verdicts of 2012 Irish Legal 100 (2011) National Law Journal Top 100 Verdicts in the Nation of 2011 The Legal Intelligencer PaLaw Largest Awards and Settlements of 2011 VerdictSearch Top Pennsylvania Verdicts of 2011 National Transplant Assistance Fund (NTAF): Community Hero Award (2010) The Legal Intelligencer Top Cases, 2011 VerdictSearch Top Pennsylvania Verdicts of 2010 Philadelphia Business Journal Largest Legal Judgements of 2010 Magee Rehabilitation Hospital Champion in the Community Award (2009) The Legal Intelligencer PaLaw Largest Awards and Settlements of 2008
International Academy of Trial Lawyers (Fellow) American Association for Justice American Bar Association American College of Trial Lawyers (Fellow) Lawyer Pilots Association Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board Hearing Committee (Chairman) Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Committee on Rules of Evidence Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Judicial Selection Commission Pennsylvania Bar Association Pennsylvania Association For Justice (Champion of Justice) Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers Philadelphia Bar Association Philadelphia Bar Foundation (Advocates of Justice) Philadelphia Legal Assistance (Board of Directors) Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association (Secretary, Board of Directors, 2012-2013 President) Temple University Academy of Trial Advocacy (Faculty) Community Legal Services (Board of Directors) Committee for a Better Tomorrow Homeless Advocacy Project (Board of Directors) Magee Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation (Board of Directors) Millville Army Air Field Museum (Board of Directors) New Jersey State Bar Association New Jersey Association for Justice Philadelphia Legal Assistance (Board of Directors)
"Medical Malpractice: Critical Issues in Current Practice," Philadelphia Association for Justice (November, 2016) "High Profile Cases, High Profile Attorneys," Philadelphia Association for Justice (October, 2016) "The Subtle and Not-So-Subtle Approaches to Damages," Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association (October, 2014) "The Simple Keys to Favorable Verdicts," Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association (May, 2014) Stars of the Bar," Pennsylvania Association for Justice (April, 2014) "Medical Malpractice Update," Philadelphia Bar Association Medical Legal Committee (July, 2012)
"A Plaintiffs' Attorney's Perspective," Medical-Legal Aspects of Pain and Suffering, Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company, Inc., (2003)
