Thomas Donlon’s practice focuses on appellate and complex trial matters. He is a member of the firm's Appellate Team within the Business Litigation Group.
Appellate
Tom has successfully argued and briefed cases in various federal Courts of Appeals as well as state appellate courts in both Connecticut and New York. These appeals have involved multimillion-dollar cases covering diverse topics, including contract, insurance, discrimination, health care fraud, securities, anti-trust, bankruptcy, employment, construction, condemnation, land use, and environmental regulation. Tom appears regularly before the Second Circuit, where he recently won a unamious decision overturning a district court's verdict of religious discrimination. He also prevailed in a precedent-setting case limiting state immunity in bankruptcy cases. He has handled cases before the Third, Ninth and Federal Circuits as well.
In the Connecticut Supreme Court, Tom won a series of cases of first impression under the state wetlands protection statute, defining the scope of private actions, the limits on special use exceptions, and the entitlement to attorney's fees. He won an appeal which established the state’s rule of priorities in foreclosure actions. He also won an appeal of a multimillion-dollar lease termination dispute involving a major defense contractor. In the New York appellate courts, he was successful on the appeal upholding the largest condemnation award against the State of New York for over $125 million plus interet. Tom handled significant cases regarding the duties of insurance companies in hurricane and fire damages as well as a number of construction disputes. He has represented individuals pro bono before both the Second Circuit and the Connecticut Supreme Court on issues involving prisoner and family rights. Tom participates regularly in activities to foster the development of appellate law, holding leadership positions and conducting contiuing legal education programs at both the national and state level.
Complex Litigation
Tom is involved in all aspects of complex litigation in trial courts, with a concentration on motion practice, particularly complex dispositive motions requiring the briefing of challenging legal issues. Working with other members of the firm’s litigation group, his cases have run the gamut of civil litigation, including the representation of one of America's largest corporations in an international contract dispute, the defense of insurance companies against bad faith claims, the enforcement of arbitration agreements against class action attack, defense of Native American corporations, disputes over major government construction contracts, and enforcement of penalties and attorney’s fees in bankruptcy. He litigated a series of Daubert motions in patent cases which significantly assisted the successful resolution of the matters and has also assisted in a number of land use and environmental cases in support of the firm’s practice in those areas. He was an integral part of the land use team litigating a major RLUIPA case and is a contributor to the firm's RLUIPA Defense blog.
