ATTORNEY TOM CHURCH

Tom became a trial lawyer to represent people, not big corporations or powerful government agencies. Since graduating from law school and becoming an attorney, Tom has been able to fight for individuals by getting successful results in criminal cases, personal injury lawsuits, and civil rights litigation across Georgia and the rest of the country.

In 2020, Tom was selected as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Criminal Defense Trial Lawyers in Georgia by the National Trial Lawyers. Membership in the Top 40 Under 40 is by invitation only and limited to the top 40 attorneys in the state based on their qualifications, leadership skills, and proven results as a trial lawyer. In 2021, Tom was identified by Best Lawyers as “One to Watch,” a recognition awarded to young attorneys by their peers. While most “Ones to Watch” recipients have been in practice for at least five years, Tom received this recognition in only his third year of practicing law. In 2022 and 2023, Tom was named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers, a national organization dedicated to recognizing attorneys for significant achievements in their practice areas.

In his criminal practice, Tom handles a variety of cases at the federal and state level, including drug trafficking and conspiracy charges, white collar crimes, immigration offenses, and sex crimes. In post-conviction proceedings, Tom has obtained successful outcomes in appeals, habeas corpus petitions, and sentencing hearings.

Tom has also filed several motions for “compassionate release” on behalf of inmates all across the country, including in California, Texas, Virginia, and several other states, and has been able to get several inmates released from prison early based on their medical condition or because they received excessive sentences.

Tom graduated with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he was a member of the school’s Moot Court and Mock Trial teams. Tom also won awards for achieving the highest marks in his Torts and Constitutional Law classes. Tom served as a research assistant to Professors Dan Coenen and Michael Wells, experts in constitutional law and constitutional litigation, respectively. In his last year of school, Tom was one of a few students selected to participate in a week-long seminar with a sitting U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Prior to starting The Church Law Firm, Tom was hired out of law school by Page Pate, a prominent Atlanta trial lawyer who was also a founding member of the Georgia Innocence Project. Tom became a partner at Pate, Johnson & Church in 2019. After Page Pate passed away in September 2022, Tom established The Church Law Firm to continue Pate’s fight for justice.

Outside of the office, Tom is an active member of his community and is especially interested in local efforts to combat poverty and protect the environment. Tom enjoys traveling to see his mother’s family in Peru and hiking through Georgia’s beautiful state parks with his dog, Bernie. Tom is also a songwriter and guitarist who occasionally performs around the metro Atlanta area.

As a Peruvian-American, Tom is fluent in Spanish and assists the firm’s Spanish speaking clients.