Tom Seider
Tom Seider is board certified in appellate practice—a distinction achieved by fewer than one percent of all Florida lawyers. Tom handles appeals of all types, from personal injury cases to complex commercial disputes. Tom has successfully defended multi-million-dollar verdicts on appeal and has earned reversals of orders entered in favor of major corporations. In 2018, he argued and won two cases at the Florida Supreme Court.
Tom chairs the Florida Justice Association’s Appellate Practice Section, and he is a recipient of the Florida Justice Association’s prestigious S. Victor Tipton Award for superior achievement in legal writing. Tom is also active in the Florida Bar’s Appellate Practice Section: he is Chair of the Pro Bono Committee, sits on the Executive Council, and is a past Chair of the Publications Committee. In 2022, the Florida Supreme Court appointed Tom to serve a three-year term on the Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases. Tom has been recognized as a Super Lawyers “Rising Star,” a Chambers USA “Up and Comer,” and a Best Lawyers “One to Watch.” Tom is a frequent writer and lecturer on appellate topics. Before joining Brannock Berman & Seider, Tom was an associate at Buchanan Ingersoll Rooney, P.C. (formerly Fowler White Boggs, P.A.), where he served on the Writing Committee.
Education
- University of Florida, B.A., with honors
- Phi Beta Kappa
- University of Virginia School of Law, J.D.
- Dean’s Scholarship
Certifications and Bar Admissions
- Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Appellate Practice
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- United States District Court, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida
- All Florida Courts
Honors and Distinctions
- Florida Justice Association’s S. Victor Tipton Award, 2022
- Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, 2013-2024
- Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Up and Comers, 2015 & 2018 & 2020
- The Best Lawyers in America©, Appellate Practice, 2024 & 2025
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™, Appellate Practice, 2021-2023
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2022 & 2023
- Chambers USA, Up and Coming, 2023 & 2024
- The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in Florida Member
Professional Associations
- Florida Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases
- Chair of the Defamation Subcommittee
- Former Reporter for the Committee
- Appellate Practice Section of The Florida Bar
- Member of the Executive Council
- Former Chair of the Publications Committee
- Former Co-Chair of the Pro Bono Committee
- Florida Justice Association
- EAGLE Member
- Former Chair of the Appellate Practice Section
- Hillsborough County Bar Association
- Appellate Practice Section
- Former Chair of the Section
- Former Chair of the Section’s Pro Bono Subcommittee
- Appellate Practice Section
- American Association for Justice
- Appellate Litigation Group
- National Civil Justice Institute, Fellow
- Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar
- Florida Supreme Court Historical Society
- Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Historical Society
- Manasota Trial Lawyers Board
- Second District Court of Appeal Historical Society
- Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association
Lectures
- “Mastering Additur & Remittitur,” The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section’s Monthly Webinar Series (May 21, 2024)
- “Brief Writing: All the Stuff You Never Realized You Didn’t Know,” Florida Justice Association’s Annual Convention (June 16, 2022)
- “Making Your Record Before, During, and After Trial,” Florida Justice Association’s Annual Convention (June 25, 2020)
- “Jury Instructions, Verdict Forms, Jury Questions and Conduct, and Jury Verdicts,” The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section’s Art of Objecting Seminar (June 5, 2019)
- “Location, Location, Location—Where to Litigate and Related Ethical Issues,” Cheatwood Inn Of Court (January 8, 2019)
- “The Dos and Don’ts of Oral Argument: An Interactive Discussion with a Judicial Panel from the Second District Court of Appeal,” Moderator, The Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section CLE (October 17, 2018)
- “A View Towards the Bench—Appellate,” Moderator, HCBA 2017 Bench Bar Conference (October 25, 2017)
- “Sweating the Small Stuff: A Debate Over The Little Things That Can Make Your Good Appeal Great,” The Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section CLE: An Appellate Medley: Diverse Perspectives on Appellate Advocacy (April 5, 2017)
Publications
- “Winning by Losing: The Florida Supreme Court Allows Plaintiffs to Recover Appellate Attorneys’ Fees Even After an Unsuccessful Appeal,” Journal (Florida Justice Association) #639, May/June 2024
- “The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section’s Art of Objecting Seminar,” Published Materials, Co-Author, June 5, 2019
- “A Voice For Children in Need: Volunteer for a Guardian Ad Litem Appeal,” 29 Lawyer (Hillsborough County Bar Association) 26, September/October 2018
- “Challenging the Challenge: How Florida Law Protects Against Discriminatory Peremptories,” Journal (Florida Justice Association) #603, July/August 2018
- “Saying the Magic Words: Protecting Your Cause Challenges by Asking the Right Questions,” Journal (Florida Justice Association) #596, May/June 2017
- “Appealing Post-Judgment Orders: The Path to Appellate Review Under the New Rule 9.130(a)(4),” 89 Florida Bar Journal 42, October 2015
- “Investing in State Tax Liens: Understanding the Mechanics of Acquisition,” Co-Author, The Journal of Corporate Renewal, Vol. 24, No. 4, May 2011
- “Administrative Freezes Unfrozen: In re Young as Validation of Automatic Holds on the Bank Accounts of Chapter 7 Debtors,” The Cramdown (Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association), Winter 2011
- “One is the Loneliest Number: Olmstead Diminishes Refuge in the Single-Member LLC,” The Cramdown (Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association), Fall 2010
Oral Argument Links
Latest News
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Brannock Berman & Seider Again Rated One of Tampa’s Top Law Firms
In its annual ranking of the country’s best law firms, Best Lawyers® has for the fifth consecutive year recognized Brannock
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Brannock Berman & Seider Lawyers Listed Among America’s Best
Eight Brannock Berman & Seider attorneys were featured on the annual list of The Best Lawyers in America® for their
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Brannock Berman & Seider Lawyers Featured on Annual Super Lawyers List
The 2024 Florida Super Lawyers publication has recognized seven Brannock Berman & Seider attorneys, including Steve Brannock as the second-best
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Brannock Berman & Seider Leads Florida Appellate Rankings
Praising the firm's high-caliber team of legal talent, Chambers USA has once again recognized Brannock Berman & Seider as one