Legal Experience
Law Offices of Thomas Gelwicks
March 2002– Present
Area of concentration – Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation; Insurance Law.
Gehrig, Gelwicks & Eynon
November 1982-March 2002
Area of concentration – Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation; Insurance Law and an administrator for 7-lawyer office.
Law Clerk, Court Of Common Pleas, Hon. Donald Schott, February 1980-November 1982.
Law Clerk, Court of Common Pleas, Hon. Rupert Doan, August 1978-February 1980.
Hamilton County Municipal Court, Assistant Assignment Commissioner, January 1976- August 1978.
Licensure
Licensed to practice before all of the state and federal courts since 1982.
Admitted to the United States District Court January 1988.
Admitted to the United States Supreme Court April 1990.
Education
Chase School of Law
Graduated May 1981
Law Book Outstanding Award
Delta Theta Phi Speaker Award
American University
Graduated May 1974, magna cum laude
Phi Kappa Phi Honors Distinction
Senior Thesis Highest Award
Memberships
United States District Court
American Bar Association
American Association for Justice
Ohio State Bar Association
Ohio Association for Justice
Cincinnati Bar Association
Hamilton County Arbitration, Panel Chairman
Blue Ash Business Association
BABA Scholarships Awards Board
Sharonville Chamber of Commerce
Martindale-Hubbell Rating
Ranked among the top 9% of lawyers in the United States, with the highest rating of “AV.” This rating underscores preeminent legal ability and the highest ethical standards, established by confidential peer review system from members of the Bar.
Martindale-Hubbell, for over 140 years, has been the most prestigious directory of lawyers nationwide.
Significant Supreme Court Cases
Karen Stewart v. Robert and Phillip Kennedy
Supreme Court of Ohio
Challenged fundamental right of access to courts for civil law incest claims involving PTSD; highly publicized case in Ohio, involving numerous news stories and commentary.
1992
Stanton v Nationwide Insurance
Supreme Court of Ohio
Significant win announced by USA Lawyers Weekly as one of the landmark cases in the United States for the year 1993, involving uninsured motorist coverage for over-the-road truckers. Closely followed by insurance lawyers from both the plaintiffs bar and defense bar.
1993
Lawrence and Patricia Hester v. Dwivedi
Supreme Court of Ohio
Challenged Ohio law as to precedent-setting “wrongful life” litigation; cited repeatedly in national legal publications and statewide in print and electronic media.
2000
Ruther v. Kaiser
Supreme Court of Ohio
Challenge to General Assembly mandate regarding the statute of repose as applied to the discovery of professional negligence actions in Ohio.
2012
Numerous appellant arguments before the Ohio District Court of Appeals.
Cases argued at all levels of the Ohio Courts, as well as many arbitration and mediation hearings. Has served as chairman of arbitration hearings in the Court of Common Pleas.
Invited Presentations and Publications
Instructor for Ohio lawyers with lectures on evidentiary requirements, negotiation strategy and motion practice. Published writer for laymen regarding the impact of Ohio laws upon our daily lives.
Ohio Evidentiary Requirements and Comparative Negligence Theory
Ohio Legal Center Institute
1987
Expert Witnesses and MIST Auto Claims
Professional Education Systems Inc
1989
Foreseeability Concepts in Negligence Law
Negligence Law Committee Newsletter
1989
Ohio Nuisance Law and Maximizing Recovery
Ohio Law Seminars
1990
Arbitration and Mediation Techniques
Professional Educations Systems Inc
1991
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Issues
Professional Education Systems Inc
1989
Evidentiary Requirements and the ORC
Ohio Legal Center Institute
1993
Cincinnati Family magazine
Essays
2009-2010
Gannett Newspaper Publishing
Essays
2007-2009
Practical Aspects of Starting A Law Office – panel
Cincinnati Bar Association
1984
Ohio Evidentiary Requirements and Comparative Negligence Theory
Ohio Legal Center Institute
1987
Ohio’s Statute of Limitations and Civil Damages
Ohio Northern University – Pettit College of Law
1988
Expert Witnesses and MIST Auto Claims
Professional Education Systems Inc
1989
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Issues
Professional Education Systems Inc
1989
Ohio Nuisance Law and Maximizing Recovery
Ohio Law Seminars
1990
Arbitration and Mediation Techniques
Professional Educations Systems Inc
1991
Ohio Statute of Limitations and Emotional Distress Civil Claims
WKRC radio – Joe Lomas Show
1/15/1992
Monetary Damages for Emotional Distress and Incest Civil Claims
Bill Cunningham Show, WLW radio
1/16/1992
Expert’s View on Current Law of Emotional Distress and PTSD Damages
The Jerry Springer Show
1/29/1992
Ohio Statute of Limitations and Emotional Distress Civil Claims
WKRQ radio
2/7/1992
Ohio Statute of Limitations and Injury Claims
WCKY radio
2/1992
Televised Argumentation – Karen Stewart Incest Civil Claims Case
Court of Common Pleas, Hon. Thomas Crush
12/1992
When the Time Runs Out on PTSD – The Ohio Statute of Limitations
Women Helping Women
1993
The Statute of Limitations and Civil Ohio Law – Expert’s View
Ohio House of Representatives Judicial Committee
1994
Using Civil Claims to Win Money Damages
Southwestern Conference of Injury Survivors
1995
Money Damages for Stalking Misconduct
Anti-Stalking Task Force Public Forum
1996
Expert Witness Testimony and Incest Civil Claims
Southwestern Ohio Women’s Caucus
1998
Law of Ohio and the Law of Life – Negligence and Anticipation of Injury
Maple Knoll Retirement Community
2003
Ohio Negligence and the Law of Life – Anticipating Injury
Otterbein Retirement Community
2003
Ohio Negligence and the Law of Life – Anticipating Injury
Metallic Club
2004
Anticipating Injury – Staying Safe in a Crazy World
Sycamore Education District
2004
Free Will and Ascribing Fault in Tragic Circumstances –Death on Mt. Kilimanjaro
Maple Knoll Retirement Community
2008
Legal and Moral Duties to Others – And Ourselves
Rotary Club of Cincinnati
4/2010
University of Cincinnati Legal Careers Forum
Speaker and presenter
10/2013
Hamilton County Arbitration
Panel Chairman
1985-Current