Tom Melsheimer Featured in Lawdragon’s Lawyer Limelight

Winston & Strawn Partner Tom Melsheimer is featured in Lawdragon’s Lawyer Limelight Q&A. The profile discusses Tom’s diverse trial practice, his lateral move to Winston & Strawn, and career highlights.

Tom, who started his career as a federal prosecutor and has since tried every type of complex, civil, and criminal matter, says that one constant of his career has been his passion for trying cases. As a Managing Partner of Winston & Strawn’s Dallas office, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and co-author of On the Jury Trial: Principles and Practices For Effective Advocacy, Tom spent this year trying a criminal health care fraud case, a civil real estate dispute, and arguing two appeals.

In the profile, Tom, who joined Winston in 2017, discusses his transition to the firm. “It has been more successful than I could have imagined. The trial lawyer brand at Winston is second-to-none. Winston has integrated us into the fabric of the firm and the resources have been every bit as good as advertised. Most importantly, the firm’s personality is that of a true partnership filled with mutual encouragement and support,” he said.

Tom also discusses the importance of attracting and retaining top talent. “Finding the best young lawyers is the key to our future success. Relatedly, we have to maintain a diverse workforce. Diversity of viewpoints, perspectives, and backgrounds is not just a slogan; it’s a key to substantive success going forward for any law firm that aspires to be the best in the country.”

When asked about strategies that Tom employs to help guarantee individualized justice, Tom refers to the 2019 Forest Park Medical Center case involving allegations of illegal kickbacks—namely, when he was able to achieve the only acquittal among nine defendants. “The key is to start with good facts. Lawyers without substantial trial experience (or self-awareness) tend to overstate their own importance to any result without realizing that it’s hard to win if you don’t begin with favorable evidence. With Dr. Nick Nicholson, we started with a core of proof that demonstrated his innocence. At the trial itself, we maintained message discipline.  We didn’t chase rabbits, we didn’t raise issues that didn’t directly relate to our client, and we focused the jury’s attention on our evidence and, significantly, the absence of evidence implicating our client.”

Learn more about Tom Melsheimer in the full Lawdragon Q&A here.