Thomas F. Brier Jr.

Biography

Tom Brier concentrates his practice on commercial litigation matters. He has experience litigating various types of disputes in state and federal court, such as:

  • Class actions, including claims alleging unfair trade practices and RICO
  • Business disputes involving claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and other business torts
  • Employment litigation, including claims alleging breach of restrictive covenants and misappropriation of trade secrets
  • White collar defense and investigations
  • Commercial real estate disputes

Tom also maintains a pro bono practice, arguing criminal appeals in federal court and volunteering on the Election Protection national voter information hotline.

Prior to joining the firm, Tom served as a law clerk to the Honorable Thomas I. Vanaskie of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He also served as a judicial extern to Judge Vanaskie and to President Judge John F. Cherry of the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas, as well as a legislative intern to Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.

In 2020, Tom ran for U.S. Congress as a Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania’s Tenth Congressional District, winning the largest county in the District by a 60/40 margin and setting several fundraising records.

Tom is the author of While Reason Slept, a highly acclaimed book about the philosophical origins of the American Revolution. Tom has also written extensively on issues pertaining to cybersecurity, privacy, biometric data, immigration, and cryptocurrency.

During law school, Tom was the only student invited to participate at a cybersecurity conference in Washington, D.C., where he presented a paper to various cybersecurity experts and high-ranking officials at the Federal Communications Commission. The paper, titled Defining the Limits of Governmental Access to Personal Data Stored in the Cloud: An Analysis and Critique of Microsoft Ireland, was later published in Penn State’s Journal of Information Policy

Tom was voted by his classmates to be the Penn State Law commencement speaker, was the 2017 recipient of the Joseph Leyburn Kramer Award, and is a proud member of the Penn State Alumni Association.

Outside the Firm

Tom enjoys spending time with family and friends and cheering on Philadelphia sports teams. In his spare time, he can usually be found playing basketball, listening to podcasts, reading nonfiction, or watching reruns of The Wire

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Affiliations

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Philadelphia Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
Professional Activities

Tom is a volunteer with the Philadelphia READS program and is a recipient of Bro2Go, Inc.’s “Trailblazer Award” for his civic contributions in Central Pennsylvania. He is also a board member of the Joe Allegrini Children’s Hero Fund, the Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial (America250PA), the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, and the Steering Committee of PA Rural Voices.

Credentials

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court - Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Education

  • Dickinson College, BA
  • Penn State University, Dickinson School of Law, JD