Thomas C. Saunders Esq.

Thomas C. Saunders was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1957 and move to Miami, Florida in 1969. Following high school, and after a brief tour in the United States Navy, Tom enrolled at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature in 1980. Tom attended the University of Florida College of Law obtaining his Juris Doctor degree in December, 1982.

Thomas C. Saunders has been in practice in the State of Florida since 1984 and began his career as an Assistant City Attorney in Tampa, Florida. Following that, Tom joined a private insurance defense firm in Tampa representing insureds in all aspects of product liability claims, medical negligence claims, automobile accidents, slip and falls and catastrophic injury claims.

It was during that time, as an insurance defense attorney, that Tom became intimately familiar with the manner in which an insurance company handles and services claims.

In 1991, Tom moved with his family to Polk County, Florida where he joined a private firm working in Plaintiff’s personal injury, commercial litigation and family law. In this position, Tom tried cases ranging from motorcycle claims, automobile cases, medical negligence, contract claims, and all aspects of family law.

In 1991, Tom became Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in Civil Trial and has been recertified in Civil Trial in 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016.

In 1997, Tom was also Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in Business Litigation and was recertified in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017.

Less than 2% of all lawyers in Florida are Board Certified and an even smaller percentage have been fortunate enough to obtain certification as a specialist in more than one area of law.

In 2002, Tom opened his own practice which is no known as Saunders Law Group. The firm is dedicated to litigation of claims involving personal injury, medical negligence, commercial litigation and family law matters.

Tom has been the President of the Polk County Trial Lawyer’s Association, Chairman of the Florida Bar Civil Trial Certification Committee, Chairman of the Tenth Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission and Chairman of the Bench Bar Committee for the Tenth Judicial Circuit.

Tom has been awarded an AV rating by the prestigious international publication of Martindale-Hubbell and this is the highest rating possible. The rating is established by consultation with peers and judges who rate the attorney not only on the skills demonstrated by the lawyer but also on that lawyer’s adherence to the highest ethical standards. Tom has also been recognized for high professional legal standards in Martindale-Hubbell’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.

Tom is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates where membership is by invitation only. Tom is also a Master level member of the Willson American Inn of Court, Polk County, Florida.

Tom is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Trial Lawyer’s Association, the Florida Bar Association, the Florida Justice Association and is admitted to practice in all courts in the State of Florida as well as the Middle District Federal Court.

Tom is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum where membership is limited to those individuals who have achieved a settlement or verdict in excess of one million dollars. Additionally, Tom is listed as a lifetime member in Strathmore’s Who’s Who and inclusion in this listing is limited to those individuals who have demonstrated leadership and achievement in their occupation, industry or profession.

Tom is also Certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Circuit Civil Mediator and a Family Law Mediator where alternatives to litigation can often result in a cost savings and far more expedient resolution of disputed matters.

Tom lives in Polk County, Florida with his wife and their two adult children.