Thomas M. Gonzalez Attorney At Law

Tom is a shareholder in the firm’s Tampa office with more than four decades of experience in the private practice of law. He represents management clients throughout Florida in labor relations, equal opportunity law, wage and hour law, and all employment and personnel-related matters. Tom has tried cases in state and federal courts in several districts of Florida and other states. He has also argued before the state appellate courts and the 5th, 6th, 11th, and D.C. District Courts of Appeals.

Tom’s experience includes matters involving race, age, religion, national origin, and sex discrimination, sexual harassment, alleged violations of the ADA and ERISA, wrongful terminations, breach of contract, bid violations, the First Amendment, the Florida Whistleblower Act, FLSA and FMLA violations, and funding of construction and infrastructure.

Tom has served as City Attorney for the City of Tampa, School Board Attorney for the School Board of Hillsborough County, and General Counsel for the Florida College System Risk Management Consortium. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and an American Board of Trial Attorneys associate.

Tom is recognized by his peers as an outstanding lawyer and a Bar leader. He has authored many articles on personnel and labor management administration and labor and discrimination law and has spoken on those subjects to groups such as the Florida Bar, the Florida Public Employers Labor Relations Association, the American Arbitration Association, ASPA, and AMA.

• Education
  • J.D., Florida State University, 1975
  • B.A., Tulane University, 1972
• Admissions
  • Florida
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida

  
  
• Professional Associations and Memberships
  • The Florida Bar
    • Board-certified in Education Law
    • Board of Governors, 1988-1991
    • Labor and Employment Law Section
      • Executive Council
  • Tampa/Hillsborough County Bar Association
    • President, 1984-1985
  • American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
  • College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Fellow
  • American Board of Trial Attorneys, Associate

  
  
• Media
  • "The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Corporate Employment Lawyers," Lawdragon, September 22, 2023
• Awards and Recognitions
  • AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell, 1980-present
  • Chambers USA, Labor and Employment, 2020-2024
    • Global, Labor and Employment, 2019
  • Best Lawyers in America, 1987-2025
    • Employment Law - Management
    • Labor Law - Management
    • Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Florida Super Lawyers, 2006-2024
    • Top 50 in Tampa Bay, 2022
  • Florida Trend, Legal Elite, 2004-2023
    • Hall of Fame
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers, 2020-2022
  • Michael A. Fogarty "In the Trenches Award," Hillsborough County Bar Association, 2001
  • "Stellar Performance in Continuing Legal Education," The Florida Bar Labor and Employment Section
  • "Appreciation Award," Florida Conference of County Court Judges
  • Herbert G. Goldberg Memorial Award, Hillsborough County Bar Association, 2014
    • Marking his distinguished legal career exhibiting fairness, integrity, courtesy, zeal, forensic skill, legal acumen, good sense and respect for fellow lawyers
  • "Trial Lawyer of the Year," American Board of Trial Advocates, 2014
  • George C. Carr Memorial Award, Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, 2018
    • Excellence in Federal Practice and Distinguished Service to the Federal Bar
  • "Outstanding Lawyer," Hillsborough County Bar Association, 2018