Thomas M. Wolf

Overview

Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame inductee Tom Wolf resolves high-stakes business disputes involving construction law claims, corporate governance and shareholder actions, intellectual property litigation, general commercial lawsuits, and international law controversies. Among top-tier trial advocates when the stakes are at their highest, Tom is lead trial counsel for clients faced with serious claims. In addition to his widely recognized dispute resolution, litigation, and trial practice, Tom acts as general counsel to a number of companies—a testament to his pragmatism when applying the law to each client's daily operational challenges and risk management profile.

Where other attorneys see tangled facts and competing legal theories, Tom identifies the single thread that can often unravel the opposition's case. His preparation goes beyond thoroughness to strategic acuity—recognizing which arguments will gain traction and which witnesses will prove decisive before the trial even begins. In and out of state and federal court, in mediation and arbitration, and at trial, Tom designs dispute resolution strategies for single- and multi-plaintiff claims, class actions, and multi-district litigation (MDLs) that focus on neutralizing weaknesses while exploiting every tactical advantage, making him exceptionally difficult to outmaneuver.

With experience earned over decades of practice, Tom's trial acumen extends beyond legal theory into the psychology of persuasion. He knows when to press an advantage and when restraint better serves his client, remaining sensitive to the reputational damage litigation and trial can cause. However, when trial is inevitable, Tom's cross-examinations are surgical and grounded in fact—never theatrical, always purposeful. Witnesses rarely leave the stand without revealing exactly what Tom intended to expose. Colleagues and adversaries recognize Tom as one of the region's most formidable strategists—someone who analyzes case trajectories from initial filing through verdict with uncanny precision.

When significant financial consequences hang in the balance, Tom’s reputation as an adroit litigation and trial tactician means he is wholly committed to delivering the best possible outcome, making him a go-to advocate in the region. Consistently honored for his exemplary litigation and trial prowess, Tom has also served in leadership positions for various organizations. As a result, it is no surprise Tom has been recognized with countless awards for excellence and "best of the best" rankings by myriad publications. Moreover, and since 1986, Tom has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Richmond School of Law.

Experience

• Multi-million-dollar recovery for the co-founder of a business who was forced out by the other co-founder and investors, Charlottesville 2020
• Obtained summary judgment for the defendant, an overseas industrial supplier, on alleged breach of multi-year commercial contract with Virginia company, E.D. Va. 202
• Successful defense of a power plant owner in a $300M federal suit by an EPC contractor in 2020
• Successful defense of a power plant owner in a suit threatening the plant’s water permit, M.D. Pa. 2016
• Successful recovery by a contractor building a liquid natural gas pipeline in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, E.D. Va. 2016
• Successful defense of $70M suit for rescission of agreement to purchase an energy industry supplier, W.D. Va. 2013
• Successful defense of one of the world’s largest manufacturers in a $600M federal suit for breach of contract, E.D. Va. 2010
• Trial victory against an EPC contractor on behalf of an owner of a power plant in a three-week trial in federal court; verdict for the owner of $11M plus attorney’s fees and zero to the contractor on claims of $50M, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative v. Ragnar Benson, Inc., 2006 WL 2252514, E.D. Va. 2006
• Successful defense of an asbestos manufacturer in a $1B case to remove asbestos from all state-owned buildings in Virginia in Commonwealth v. Owens Corning Fiberglass Corp., 385 S.E.2d 865, Va. 1989
• Victory in Richmond Circuit Court trial that required the defendant LLC to pay the plaintiff more than $6.5M to buy out his ownership interest in January 2018
• Landmark verdict on behalf of a group of minority shareholders ordering the dissolution of a $200M corporation because of oppression and waste by the controlling shareholders in Colgate v. The Disthene Group, Inc., 2012 Va. Cir. LEXIS 67, *15, Va. Cir. Ct. Aug. 30, 2012
• Senior member of a trial team that won the then largest jury verdict in Virginia history – $100.5M in Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Inc. v. Nationwide Ins. Co., City of Richmond 1998
• Defense verdict for client after a six-day trial in the Circuit Court for the City of Baltimore where the client, a national company in the oil industry, was sued for $2.7M by a competitor for alleged conspiracy and unjust enrichment related to the purchase of allegedly stolen oil, December 1, 2014
• $1M jury verdict for a corporate client against a lawyer who had orchestrated the theft of intellectual property, Henrico Circuit Court 2013
• $3M jury verdict for a developer based on an oral amendment of a joint venture agreement in Henderson v. Perkins, Cir. Ct. City of Williamsburg and James City County 2010
• Landmark First Amendment victory in a criminal case striking down a Virginia statute as overbroad infringement on the right to speak anonymously in Jaynes v. Commonwealth of Virginia, 276 Va. 443, 2008
• Received the only defense verdict after an 8-week jury trial against multiple defendants in a $100M federal suit related to the construction and operation of an Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) facility in Jama v. U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service, D.N.J. 2007
• Obtained a $1.1M jury verdict against the investment banking firm that had forced him out as a partner, Richmond Circuit Court 2005
• Successful defense of a $100M class action suit in federal court in Alabama in Register v. RUS of Auburn, Inc., 193 F.2d 1273, M.D. Ala. 2002
• First jury verdict in favor of a software user against a computer consulting firm for malpractice in the implementation of SAP R/3 in Omni Services, Inc. v. Osprey Systems, Inc., E.D. Va. 2000
• $4M jury verdict for the plaintiffs, who were injured by an attack while on vacation in St. Martin, King v. Trust Ins. Co., Chesterfield County Cir. Ct. 1988
• Received the first RICO decision in favor of the customer against a major brokerage house in Donato v. Merrill Lynch, 663 F.Supp. 669, N.D. Ill. 1987
• Successful defense of a European pharmaceutical company in a case challenging the safety of the world’s number one prescription drug, M.D. W.Va. 1986

Honors, Publications, & Speeches

Honors

• Go To Business Litigation Lawyers, Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame, Leaders in the Law, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, 2023, 2022, and 2020, respectively
• Litigation Star Construction and Intellectual Property, Benchmark Litigation: The Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys, 2014-2021, 2023
• Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, and Litigation – Construction, The Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2022
• Construction, Chambers USA, 2022
• Legal Elite, Virginia Business Magazine, 2001-2020
• Business Litigation, Top 100, Virginia Super Lawyers, 2006-2022, 2012-2022, respectively

Publications

• Author, “New Legislation Makes General Contractors Liable for Wages of Subcontractor’s Employees,” Virginia Construction Voice, March 24, 2020
• Author, “Force Majeure Clauses and Construction Contract Issues Related to COVID-19,” Bloomberg Law, March 6, 2020
• Author, “Insight: Fifth Circuit ‘Home Cooking’ Ruling Harms Future U.S. Trade Partners,” The United States Law Week, March 6, 2020
• Contributing Author, “Virginia Construction Law Deskbook,” Virginia Law Foundation, 2019
• Many other papers and articles related to construction law, civil litigation, employment law, and transactional litigation

Presentations & Speeches

• Speaker, 200+ presentations to lawyers and industry groups on issues related to litigation, construction law, corporate governance and minority shareholder oppression, employment law, and transnational dispute resolution, including addressing groups in the UK, France, Italy, Argentina, Morocco, and Israel

• Speaker, “Recent Developments in Construction and Public Contracts Law in Virginia,” Virginia CLE's 46th Annual Construction Law and Public Contracts Seminar, 2025
• Speaker, “Avoiding and Handling Business Owner Deadlocks, Disputes and 'Divorces'," The Virginia Bar Association's 48th Annual Advanced Business Law Conference, 2022

News

Professional

• Transition Committee Member, Governor Tim Kaine, 2006
• Member, Virginia Commission on Parole Review, 2015
• Member, Board of Commissioners, Virginia Port Authority, 2006-2011
• Board Member, Virginia Poverty Law Center, 2002-2008
• Fellow, Board Member, Virginia Law Foundation, 2025 to Present
• Member, Federal Bar Association 1990 to Present
• Board Member, Greater Richmond Bar Foundation, 2010-2016
• President, International Alliance of Law Firms, 2002-2004
• Member, Old Dominion Bar Association (now Hill-Tucker Bar Association), 1985 to Present
• Member, International Policy Committee, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2013-2019
• Chair, International Practice Section, Virginia State Bar, 1990-9191
• Chair, Construction and Public Contracts Section, Virginia State Bar, 1995-1996,
• Invited Member, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
• Member, Richmond Bar Association, 1978 to Present
• Fellow, American Bar Association, 1978 to Present

Community

Tom joined the firm’s litigation team after managing the Richmond office of Miles & Stockbridge. He was also a principal with LeClairRyan, heading the General Counsel Practice, Construction Industry Team, and Diversity and Pro Bono Committees. Moreover, Tom served as former chair of the Richmond Bar Association’s Pro Bono Committee and as a Virginia State Bar Pro Bono Champion in 2026.