We are proud to share that Tom Branigan has been named one of Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2025 Leaders in the Law. This recognition highlights not only Tom’s remarkable year in the courtroom but also his history with the firm and impact on our Detroit office.
Tom was one of the founding attorneys of our Detroit office, helping launch it from temporary space in a hotel across the street from General Motors and growing it into the strong presence it is today. He now serves on our Executive Committee, guiding the firm’s national vision while continuing to lead from the front lines of trial work. Over his career, Tom has first-chaired more than 30 trials and second-chaired nearly a dozen more, establishing himself as one of the best in the courtroom.
Tom has also played a key role in building the firm’s Automotive Practice Group, our largest practice area. The group represents nearly all the world’s leading automotive manufacturers and suppliers. As Co-Chair, Tom has pioneered and expanded the firm’s depth of experience in defending product liability matters ranging from rollovers and catastrophic crashes to cases involving advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous vehicles and other emerging technologies.
Automotive is in Tom’s DNA, and it’s clear why our clients turn to him for high-stakes litigation, 2025 has been an impressive year with these two major trial victories:
Sims v. BMW (September 2025): In the hometown of plaintiff’s counsel, Orlando, FL, Tom’s team won a defense verdict that cut a $1.2 billion demand down to a $147,000 net award, saving the client over a billion dollars.
Moore v. Mercedes-Benz (March 2025): Serving as first chair in a six-week Michigan trial, Tom secured a unanimous defense verdict that rejected a $2 billion claim. This was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, verdicts in Michigan this year and drew national attention given the prominence of the plaintiffs.
Congratulations to Tom on this well-earned recognition as one of Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Leaders in the Law! To view the 2025 Leaders in Law Honorees, click here.