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 the state of Florida in matters of labor relations, equal opportunity law, wage and hour law, and all employment and personnel related matters. He 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 Fifth, Sixth, Eleventh, and D.C. District Courts of Appeals.

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

Tom has served as the 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 in the American College of Trial Lawyers, the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and an associate of the American Board of Trial Attorneys.

• Background

  Tom received his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University in 1972 and in 1975 he graduated from Florida State University College of Law.

  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, labor law and discrimination law and has spoken on those subjects to groups such as The Florida Bar, the Florida Public Employers Labor Relations Association, American Arbitration Association, ASPA, and AMA.

  
  
• Education
  • Tulane University, B.A. (1972)
  • Florida State University, J.D. (1975)

  
  
• Admissions
  • Florida
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit

  
  
• 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