(1955 - 2018)
Tom Rhodes was the epitome of strength, courage, and generosity. He took care of the people he loved, never once shied away from responsibility or duty, and always sought justice for those in need of help. Most who knew him will never forget his keen sense of humor, clever wit, and rapturous laugh, often even at his own joke. Tom was a stranger to no one, made a friend everywhere he went, was a welcoming and generous host to any, but treasured his genuine friendships most of all.
Prior to becoming a lawyer Tom was an iron worker working high steel. He quit and went back to school when he realized he was the only one on his crew who had all his body parts left. After his 1980 graduation from St. Mary's University School of Law in 1980 with honors, he went on to have a long and successful career as a trial attorney and specialized in nursing home negligence cases.
Tom had many multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients, including a $150 million verdict for the estate of Tranquilino Mendoza against Comanche Trail Nursing Center. This was a nursing home abuse/neglect case tried in San Antonio, TX in 2006 and was the third largest nursing home verdict in U.S. history.
In 2016, Tom represented a nineteen-year-old young man who was rendered paraplegic as a passenger in a pickup truck which was involved in a three vehicle crash. Tom sued the driver of the offending vehicles claiming they were following too closely. During deliberations the parties agreed to a high/low agreement. The jury awarded $34.3 million in compensatory damages and $33.25 million in punitive damages. The parties settled the case based on their high-low agreement, which was the high amount of $9 million.
Tom was a nationally recognized speaker and author on trial strategy and jury argument. He took pride in his political and social justice work, like his pro-bono representation of the families of 9/11 victims or helping advance legislative change on behalf of his clients. To quote Tom in his own words, "I love what I do." In fact, the only thing Tom loved more than his family and friends, and winning in the courtroom, was winning in Las Vegas.
