Tomas L. Gacio

Tom has been recognized by judges he has practiced before, and his trial attorney colleagues that have opposed him, as having achieved the highest level of professional excellence. He is twice board certified as an expert in civil trial law by the Florida Bar and The National Board of Trial Advocacy. He has resolved multiple seven-figure settlements on behalf of his clients and has been named a Lifetime Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Tom began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney in Polk County, Florida. After conducting over 50 non-jury and jury trials he moved on to further his trial work experience representing insurance companies such as Allstate, State Farm, Auto Owners, USAA, Nationwide, GEICO & Scottsdale Insurance Company. His experience representing large insurance companies has equipped him on how to counter insurance company strategies to devalue a claim. He has been exclusively representing injured clients for the past ten years.

Tom achieved his board certification in civil trial law by the Florida Bar on his first attempt. Only 1-2% of attorneys in Florida are board-certified. Certification involves a rigorous peer-review process where the attorneys you practice against, and the judges you practice in front of, are called upon to evaluate your skill and knowledge in the courtroom. Candidates are also asked to support their application by listing their experience and trial outcomes and then must pass an exhaustive written examination.

Admitted to Florida Bar 1990 U. S. District Courts for the Middle District of Florida Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer

Education

• Graduated cum laude in 1989 with a Juris Doctorate (JD) from Washburn University of Topeka, School of Law in Topeka, Kansas.
• Bachelor of Arts from University of South Florida in 1982.

Board Certifications

• Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer since 2012.
• National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Civil Trial Lawyer since 2014.

Memberships/Committees

• Tampa Bay American Inns of Court
• Hillsborough County Bar Association, The Florida Bar & The American Bar Association
• Admitted to practice in the Southern, and Middle District of Florida Federal courts
• Florida Justice Association
• Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association

Recognitions

• In 2017-2024, has retained his inclusion in the National Trial Lawyers “Top 100” trial attorney’s group for the State of Florida.
• In 2021-2024 Recognized as a Lawyer of Distinction in Civil Litigation by the Lawyers of Distinction Selection Committee. Lawyers of Distinction Members have been selected based upon a review and vetting process by a Selection Committee utilizing U.S. Provisional Patent # 62/743,254. The platform generates a numerical score of 1 to 5 for each of the 12 enumerated factors which are meant to recognize the applicant’s achievements and peer recognition. The determination of whether an attorney qualifies for Membership is based upon a rigorous proprietary analysis https://www.thelawyersofdistinction.com/profile/tomas-gacio/
• In 2017-2024,  has retained an AV Preeminent® rating by Martindale-Hubbell, a national law firm rating system. The “AV” rating is the highest possible rating from Martindale-Hubbell. The “A” signifies legal ability to be “very high to preeminent.” The “V” represents “very high” ethical standards. Mr. Tomas Lazaro Gacio Profile | Tampa, FL Lawyer | Martindale.com
• In 2021 was admitted to lifetime membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million-dollar verdicts and settlements.  Fewer than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members.
• In 2024 was selected by his peers as a Super Lawyer.  Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.  This service selects the top 5% of attorneys to this list each year.
• In 2024 was selected by his peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America practicing in personal injury law in the 30^th edition.  Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.   For the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, more than 13.7 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in more than 76,000 leading lawyers included in the milestone 30^th edition.   Lawyers are not required nor allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, the inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular valued honor.

Background

Born in New Haven, Connecticut on September 4th, 1964. Tom has lived most of his life in Tampa, FL. He is married and has three adult children. He speaks, reads, and writes Spanish fluently.