Solo Practitioner
Tad Thomas
Treating others with respect comes easily
By Gremlyn Wadell
T
he soft-spoken personal injury attorney with the easy
“When I was old enough to stock shelves, I stocked shelves,
manner credits his parents, Dennis and Kim, for the
and when I was old enough to bag groceries, I bagged groceries,
gracious upbringing they gave him and his younger
and when I was old enough to run the cash register, I ran the
sister, Kellye. But along with teaching their children the Golden
cash register,” Thomas says.
Rule, they also instilled a love of humanity and a hearty work
Selling canned goods and fresh meat to what he calls a
ethic. Indeed, as the family’s small grocery business grew
“melting pot of people” allowed him to see up close the
amidst Louisville’s bustling Haymarket district during the
importance of customer service. That same notion would later
1980s, they expected their son to step up – and he did.
be reinforced by his mentors, including the city’s legendary
litigator, Frank Haddad Jr., and his brother and fellow attorney,
Robert “Bobby” Haddad, who both lived by four simple words:
Treat your clients right.
It’s evident that Thomas has never forgotten his parents’ or
mentors’ teachings. In an industry in which it’s hard to please
everyone, he’s earned a perfect score of 10.0, or “Superb,” on
the lawyer-rating website Avvo.com and maintains a busy solo
practice. About 90 percent of his cases are referrals from other
attorneys, he says. He doesn’t advertise on TV to drum up
business and, obviously, he cannot rely on other attorneys to
bring in cases.
But he has that credo – “Treat your clients right” – and that
has been enough.
Photo by Shannon Wells
A ‘larger than life’ influence
Before there were clients, a credo or anything
remotely resembling a career, Thomas was a
typical college kid, not sure what direction his
life would take. As fate would have it, Frank
Haddad’s family also had a background in the
grocery business and, as a result, he knew his way
around a backyard barbecue.
“Frank was a big cook, and he would come to
our store to buy meat,” Thomas says, recalling
how he became acquainted with the local
luminary.
Haddad, truth is, also frequented the store because he was
with a BA in Political Science, Thomas clerked for another of
friends with Thomas’ grandfather, who came to the United
the firm’s attorneys, Ron Hillerich, who “became like a second
States from Lebanon in 1924. Haddad, of Lebanese descent as
father to me,” he says. Hillerich taught Thomas the ropes, giving
well, at some point suggested that the college-aged Thomas
him cases and a tiny first office – “it was behind the lunchroom,”
work as a runner at his law firm. Thomas had little interest in
Thomas muses – on the Kentucky Home Life Building’s fifth
his classes at Georgetown College, but developed an interest in
floor, 13 floors below Thomas’ present-day headquarters.
the law after reading an article on Haddad. He took the job and
it literally changed his life.
“Once I came up here as a runner, I loved it,” he says. “I even
turned my grades around.”
In 2000, he graduated with honors from Northern Kentucky
University and opened his own practice. He loved being his
own boss and had a part-time assistant at the time: his mom.
He says she was an ideal employee and only played the mom
During that summer, Haddad’s firm handled several large,
card once when he got mouthy with someone on the phone.
high-publicity criminal trials and senators and congressmen
Upon hearing her son’s coarse language, “She poked her head in
filed through the office. A veritable “Who’s Who of the State of
the door,” he recalled, “and said, ‘That’s quite enough.’ ”
Kentucky” would phone daily, recalls Thomas, and he was often
Then, in 2007, Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway
the one answering the calls. It was an exciting environment
mentioned he’d like to have Thomas lead the Civil and
because all the cases were “a high-stakes game,” far more
Environmental Division at the AG’s office in Frankfort.
thrilling than the criminal aspect of the cases, says Thomas in
“Something told me I needed to try it,” Thomas says.
retrospect.
Another reason for the electric atmosphere, of course, was
A calendar of front-page cases
the charismatic Haddad himself. This was the defense attorney
In January 2008, he signed on with the AG’s office and was
who was known as “the lawyer’s lawyer,” the guy you saw if you
quickly promoted to Assistant Deputy Attorney General. It was
were guilty. A sea of admirers, many of whom Haddad had
exhilarating, going from his small practice to now overseeing
battled in court, turned out for his funeral in 1995. The respect
four divisions of about 100 employees, and he was supervising
was palpable, and Thomas recalls seeing a card attached to one
or directly handling all the day’s top civil cases.
bouquet, signed simply, “FBI.”
“Frank was larger than life,” Thomas says.
Onward and upward
“The front page was either a case I was working on, had
worked on or was going to be working on,” he says.
His office litigated cases against companies from the
insurance, petroleum and pharmaceutical industries, and
After Frank Haddad died, his brother, Bobby, kept Thomas
recovered tens of millions on the state’s behalf. A sampling of
on as a runner until he could finish college. After graduating
his other actions included defending prosecutors in civil cases,
July/August 2011 Greater Louisville Metro Attorney at Law Magazine | 23
defending Kentucky statutes from constitutional challenges
going to be like a bulldog for you.”
and drafting legislation and opinions. That said, Thomas adds
that he didn’t have any huge trial victories during his tenure.
For example, he didn’t succeed in trying to halt the state’s early
release of prisoners.
“Bigger gamble, bigger reward”
But Thomas missed the freedom of private practice and
its “bigger gamble, bigger reward” mentality. He left the
“We didn’t win, but I felt like I fought the good fight,” he adds.
AG’s office in December 2010, and is happier than ever back
The budgetary battles were also taxing. In his time in office,
in private practice. A divorced single dad, he gets to hang
he says the legislature cut the budget by 35 percent. He couldn’t
out often with his 6-year-old son, Dillon, and he recently
pursue the cases he really wanted because they required a large
helped his fiancée, Regan, and her daughter move to town.
amount of resources.
Tuesday evenings are reserved for Family Dinner Night with
Dana Mayton, his superior at the time, says Thomas did an
his parents, sister and her family. Thomas – like his parents
excellent job on utility negotiations as well as shepherding
and, of course, Frank Haddad – enjoys cooking. He whips up
drug company-related civil litigation. She’s was impressed by
chicken piccata for Regan, and he and Dillon recently baked a
his passion for law and his tireless dedication.
café mocha cheesecake for the fun of it.
He also loves heading out to the lake with a friend, such
that immediately,” says Mayton, now senior associate vice
as Hillerich, for bass or bluegill fishing. Mostly bass, though,
president for governmental relations and special assistant to
says the competitive angler who’s competed in a number of
the president at the University of Louisville. “You can tell he is
tournaments. Other passions include speaking to others in
Photo by Shannon Wells
“I think he is a vigorous advocate and people pick up on
24 | Greater Louisville Metro Attorney at Law Magazine July/August 2011
At a Glance
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT
Photo Submitted by Tad Thomas
• Attorney in Private Solo Practice (December 2010 – present)
• Assistant Deputy Attorney General, Office of the Kentucky Attorney General (April 2008-December 2010)
• Acting Executive Director, Office of Civil and Environmental Law, Office of the Kentucky Attorney General (January 2008-December 2010)
• Attorney in Private Solo Practice (October 2000
- January 2008)
EDUCATION
• Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University - Juris Doctorate (cum laude), 2000
• Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky - Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, 1997
BAR ADMISSIONS
the law field about going paperless and, on a different note,
volunteering on behalf of the Louisville Free Public Library.
“I’m third-generation now, but I still have that immigrant
mentality, I guess you could say,” he says.
“(Immigrants) gravitate to religion and they gravitate
to the library. For a lot of people, the library gives them
exposure; it becomes the door to what they want to do with
• U.S. Supreme Court (2005)
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (2005)
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (2009)
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky (2000)
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky (2006)
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Kentucky (2000)
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (2009)
• Commonwealth of Kentucky Trial and Appellate Courts (2000)
• State of New York Trial and Appellate Courts (2008)
their lives.”
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Phone: 502-736-8100
Fax: 877-955-7002
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: Tadthomas.com
239 S. Fifth St., Suite 1800, Louisville, KY 40202
• American Association for Justice (AAJ) formerly ATLA (2000-Current)
• New Lawyers Division Board of Governors (2005-07); Publications Committee (2005-2007), Chairperson (2006-07); Board of Governors Committee Chairperson (2006-2007)
New Lawyers Division President’s Club (2005-2007)
AAJ Convention Planning Committee (2006-07); Law School Committee (2007)
AAJ Political Action Committee “M” Club (2006-2007, 2010-current)
• Louisville Bar Association (2000-Current)
Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee (Vice-chair 2006)
• Kentucky Justice Association (2000-Current)
Proactive Legislation Committee (2007)
• Southern Trial Lawyers Association (2007-Current)
• American Bar Association (2000-current)
• Kentucky Bar Association (2000-current)
July/August 2011 Greater Louisville Metro Attorney at Law Magazine | 25