Thomas Wallerstein

Tom is a 1999 cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he served as the Executive Articles Editor of the Journal of Constitutional Law.  Tom was a finalist in the school’s moot court competition, resulting in an oral argument before U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito (then on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals), Ninth Circuit Judge A. Wallace Tashima and New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Deborah Poritz.  Based on his performance, Tom was invited to serve as the first judicial law clerk for Justice Peter G. Verniero of the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Prior to law school, Tom attended Butler University from 1986-1989 on a debate scholarship, and studied philosophy, political science, and Russian.  He also served on the school’s judicial council.  In 1996, he received his undergraduate degree in philosophy from San Francisco State University.

Following law school and his judicial clerkship, Tom began private practice as an associate in a prestigious Philadelphia firm where he gained extensive experience in a wide variety of high-profile matters, including representing two Philadelphia mayors and trying a federal jury trial.

In 2004, Tom joined the litigation powerhouse Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.  Tom quickly gained effusive praise for his courtroom skills, and he was generally the lead or sole associate on a variety of cases in which the amount at stake reached into the tens of millions of dollars.

After founding Colt Wallerstein LLP in 2009, Tom's practices continues to center on high-stakes business and intellectual property litigation.  Notable engagements include the following:

• LeCroy Corp. v. SerialTek.  In a "bet-the-company" suit, Tom represented SerialTek LLC, one of the industry's largest manufacturers of SAS/SATA protocol analyzers and related software.  After aggressive discovery, motion practice, and the filing of an antitrust cross claim against JDSU and another major manufacturer of protocol analyzer technology, the firm obtained a complete dismissal of the suit and a settlement of all claims.

• Intuitive Surgical, Inc. v. Ethicon Endo Surgery, Inc.  Tom represented Intuitive Surgical, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of surgical robots, in a nationwide trade secret and employee non-compete suit against Ethicon Endo Surgery, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The firm obtained an injunction against Ethicon prohibiting the company from enforcing a non-compete agreement that more than 100,000 employees had signed. 

Tom lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.

Education:

University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1999)
    Keedy Cup Moot Court Finalist
    1999 Journal of Constitutional Law:
        Executive Articles Editor, 1998-1999
        Associate Editor, 1997-1998  

San Francisco State University (B.A., Philosophy 1996)
    Dean’s List

Butler University (1987-1989)
    Debate Scholarship
    Dean’s List
    Most Promising Political Science Major
    Most Promising Pre-Law Major

Prior Associations:

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, LLP, Associate, 2004 - 2009
Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin, Associate, 2000-2004
Law Clerk to the Hon. Peter G. Verniero, New Jersey Supreme Court, 1999-2000

Presentations:              

California State Court Procedure, MCLE