W. Thomas McGough, Jr.
Partner
- T:
- +1 412 288 3088 (Pittsburgh)
- F:
- +1 412 288 3063 (Pittsburgh)
- E:
- wmcgough@reedsmith.com
- Vcard
Tom, a former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist and a former federal prosecutor, has extensive trial experience, both civil and criminal, and has handled numerous appeals in state and federal court. He served as Chair of the firm's Litigation Department from 1997 through 2006, a period of extraordinary growth and success for Reed Smith. He currently serves on the firm's Executive Committee.
Representative Matters
Respironics, Inc. v. Invacare Corp., No. 04-CV-0336 (W.D.Pa. 2007) (Lancaster, J.) – Jury verdict for plaintiff in patent infringement action involving devices for treatment of sleep apnea.
Commonwealth v. Purchase, No. 1722-2005 (Court of Common Pleas of Erie, Pa. 2006) (Desantis, J.) – Jury acquittal of campaign chair for former mayor of Erie on felony conflict-of-interest charges.
Liebel-Flarsheim v. Medrad, 481 F.2d 1371 (Fed. Cir. 2007) – Affirming finding of patent invalidity for lack of enablement and terminating nine years of litigation.
Castellani v. Scranton Times, ___ Pa. ___, 956 A.2d 937 (2008) – Upholding right of reporters to protect confidential sources under Pennsylvania's Shield Law.
In re Industrial Silicon Antitrust Action, C.A. 95-2104 (W.D.Pa. 1998) (Lancaster, J.) – Jury verdict for defense in civil antitrust action where client had previously pleaded guilty to the underlying conspiracy.
- View all...
Publications
- Roth, Golderger & McGough, Federal Appellate Practice – 3rd Circuit (Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Co. 1996)
- "Surviving a Search Warrant," Antitrust, Spring 1996, Vol. 10, p. 6
- "Issuing Subpoenas to the News Media: Some Practical Advice," 121 P.L.J. No. 134, July 18, 1995
- "Future Inflation, Prospective Damages, and the Circuit Courts," 63 Va.L.Rev. 105 (1977)
- "Public Access to Divorce Proceedings: The Media Lawyer's Perspective," Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Volume 17, 2001, Number 1
Experience
| 1982 | Reed Smith Member of the Executive Committee (1997 – present) Former Chair of the Litigation Department (1997 – 2006) |
|---|---|
| 1980 | Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania |
| 1979 | Law Clerk to the Honorable William H. Rehnquist, Supreme Court of the United States |
| 1978 | Law Clerk to the Honorable Collins J. Seitz, Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit |
| — | Associate Counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition, and Staff Liaison to Senator Robert Dole (March - November, 1987) |
Legal Education
| 1978 | J.D., University of Virginia School of Law Notes Editor of the Virginia Law Review Selected outstanding member of the graduating class |
|---|
Undergraduate Education
| 1975 | B.A., magna cum laude, Princeton University |
|---|
Professional Admissions / Qualifications
- Pennsylvania
Professional Affiliations
- Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County – Member
- Allegheny County Bar Association – former President
- American Academy of Appellate Lawyers – Fellow
- American College of Trial Lawyers – Fellow
- Judicial Conference of the United States – Member, Appellate Rules Committee (1998-2005)
- Pennsylvania Bar Association – Served in the House of Delegates
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit – former Chairman, Lawyers Advisory Committee
- University of Virginia School of Law – Visiting Professor (Short Courses), White Collar Crime, 2004 – present
Awards, Honors, and Recognitions
- In 2007, Tom was honored with the Shaw's Lion Award given annually by Reed Smith to its outstanding lawyer over the past year.
- Tom received the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Pro Bono Award in recognition of his attention to the legal needs of indigent citizens of Allegheny County.
- Tom was named Best Lawyers' 2010 Pittsburgh Bet-the-Company Litigator of the Year. In 2009, Tom was selected by that publication as one of its "Lawyers of the Year in Pittsburgh" based on his particularly high level of peer recognition. He has been listed since 1991 in Best Lawyers and is cited in the latest edition as a leading practitioner in five categories: Appellate Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, First Amendment Law, and White Collar Criminal Defense.
- Tom has been recognized in Chambers USA since 2003 and in the 2009 edition was listed as one of America's leading lawyers in general commercial litigation and white-collar crime & government investigations.
- In 2008 Tom was one of 176 attorneys in the United States named as "BTI Client Service All-Stars" for delivering the best client service to Fortune 1000 clients.
- Tom has been named each year since 1994 as a "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" and is listed in Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition (2009 and 2010) in the area of Business Litigation.