Tom Blatchley is a Partner in the firm’s Hartford and Boston offices. He represents a variety of clients in nationwide complex litigation in federal and state courts. His practice focuses on litigation matters concerning insurance defense and coverage, business/commercial disputes, bankruptcy and mortgage foreclosure, intellectual property matters, employment practices liability, professional liability, products liability, consumer defense, and environmental and land use. Tom frequently defends nationwide and state class claims arising under consumer protection statutes and unfair competition statutes, including, just as some examples, the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act), FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act), FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act),and similar state statutes (e.g., Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act).
Tom has significant transactional and litigation experience and regularly counsels individuals, businesses, institutional and municipal clients in diverse areas with experience that includes commercial transactions and litigation (including unfair trade practices and competition, false advertising, fraud, bad faith and misrepresentation), administrative and regulatory matters, employment matters (including court and administrative (CHRO/MCAD/EEOC/DOL) matters and discrimination, harassment, retaliation, sexual misconduct, and hostile work environment claims, and wage and hour violations), disputes involving insurance coverage and defense (including CGL, D&O and Fiduciary, E&O, PLL, A&E and EPL), consumer defense (including TCPA, FDCPA, and FCRA), products liability, toxic torts, IP, advertising, technology-related claims on behalf of SaaS and software development companies, construction and municipal liability. Additionally, Tom has considerable experience representing national corporations in large consumer class actions and complex contract disputes, as well as clients in federal multi-district (MDL) litigation. He enjoys working with clients to arrive at innovative and cost-effective solutions and often counsels clients on risk aversion and regulatory and corporate compliance. In matters that proceed to litigation, Tom protects his clients’ interests and takes pleasure in developing creative strategies and resolutions to best serve his clients’ needs.
Tom, a prolific writer and speaker, has lectured on, authored and been recognized in numerous scholarly and professional articles and presentations on a variety of topics including insurance pollution exclusions, the federal Endangered Species Act and Telephone Consumer Protection Act, mooting class actions under Rule 68, and Connecticut's Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine. He is a founder and co-editor of the GRSM blog (“Trends in Consumer Law”). Tom is a past recipient of the Connecticut Law Tribune's "Leaders of the Law Award," is a two-time LEXOLOGY Client Choice Award recipient for Litigation (2019 and 2020) and has been consistently recognized as a “Super Lawyer” and/or "Rising Star" in the New England Super Lawyers and Connecticut magazines (2008-2018).
Admissions
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, First and Second Circuits
- U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
- U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
- U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Connecticut
- Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation
Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Connecticut Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association
- Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)
- The Connecticut Power & Energy Society
- The Federalist Society
- National Creditors Bar Association
Community Involvement
- Canton Board of Finance
- Canton Planning & Zoning Commission
- Canton Aquifer Protection Agency
- Canton Republican Town Committee (Vice Chair)
- Canton Justice of the Peace
- Hartford County Bar Association Talk to Lawyers Program
- Connecticut Bar Association Veterans Assistance
- Connecticut Bar Association Truancy Intervention Project
- West Hartford Justice of the Peace
- West Hartford Conservation & Environment Commission
- West Hartford Republican Women’s Club
- West Hartford Republican Town Committee
- The Federalist Society (CT Lawyers Chapter Executive Committee)