Thomas F. Reilly
Partner

(215) 299-4313 (phone)
(215) 299-4301 (fax)

Philadelphia, PA Office

THOMAS F. REILLY graduated from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in 1969, St. Joseph’s University in 1973 and Temple University School of Law in 1977. He served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Charles A. Lord of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas from 1977 until 1978. He is licensed to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He is admitted to the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as to the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Reilly was a founding partner and shareholder of Gallagher, Reilly and Lachat in 1982 and remained a partner and shareholder until 2000. Since then, he has been a partner with Swartz Campbell LLC, where he is involved primarily in the defense of serious personal injury matters and bad faith claims against insurers. His personal injury cases primarily involve products liability, construction accidents, commercial premises liability, and automobile liability.

Mr. Reilly has presented numerous client-specific seminars on a variety of subjects, including “How to Avoid Bad Faith,” “Construction Accident Litigation,” “Defending Slip and Fall Cases,” and “Indemnity and Contribution at Trial.” Mr. Reilly’s clients include Harleysville Insurance Group, Wachovia Corporation, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and Avis Rent-A-Car System, Inc.

Mr. Reilly is a member of the Philadelphia and American Bar Associations, the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel, the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Mr. Reilly has a keen interest in trial advocacy, having received a Diploma in Teaching Advocacy Skills from the National Institute for Trial Advocacy in March of 1997. Since 1997, he has been organizing the MidAtlantic Deposition Program, Taking and Defending Depositions for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, here in Philadelphia, PA. He was also certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, an organization accredited by the American Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in September of 2000.

In 2006, Mr. Reilly was named a Super Lawyer by Philadelphia Magazine.

Areas of Practice

Product Liability
Premises Liability
Construction Accidents
Insurance
Bad Faith
Vehicular Liability

Bar Admissions

1989 New Jersey
1977 Pennsylvania

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
U.S. Third Circuit for the Court of Appeals
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Education

1977
Temple University School of Law
Philadelphia, PA
J.D.

1973
St. Joseph's University
Philadelphia, PA
B.A.
American History/Classics

Affiliations

Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel
Philadelphia Bar Association
American Bar Association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section
National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association

Presentations

MidAtlantic Deposition Program, Taking and Defending Depositions
National Institute For Trial Advocacy, Philadelphia, PA
1997-Present

Mr. Reilly has presented numerous client specific seminars in a variety of subjects including How to Avoid Bad Faith, Construction Accident Litigation, Defending Slip and Fall Cases, Indemnity and Contribution at Trial

Representative Clients

Harleysville Insurance Group
Wachovia Corporation
Modern Group, Ltd.
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Avis Rent-A-Car Systems, Inc.

Representative Matters

Beswick v. Maguire, 748 A.2d 701 (Pa. Super. 2000)
Estate of Masi v. Oriente, 790 A.2d 347 (Pa. Super. 2001)
Simmers v. American Cyanamid, 576 A.2d 376 (Pa. Super. 1990)
Greisser v. National Railroad Passenger Corp., 761 A.2d 606 (Pa. Super. 2000)
Gorniak v. National Railroad Passenger Corp., 888 F.2d 481 (3^rd Cir. 1989)