Tom Methvin
was born in Eufaula, Alabama in 1963. After graduating from High School
with honors, Tom graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree
in Corporate Finance in the Business School. He then earned his law
degree from Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama in 1988 and
began his legal career at Beasley Allen that same year. Tom's family
has been involved in the practice of law for over 200 years. Tom always
knew he wanted to be an attorney.
From a very early age, Tom has had a heart for those whom the Bible
calls "the least of these." Tom's father was a great influence in this
area. Tom remembers his father stating that "one of the worst things
someone can do is to take advantage of the illiterate, the ignorant, or
the uneducated." Based on this life experience, Tom began his legal
career at Beasley Allen representing victims of consumer fraud, many of
whom were illiterate or uneducated.
Tom is a national spokesman for the rights of consumers and the law
that applies to their rights. He has appeared on "Good Morning
America," "The O'Reilly Factor," and on all the major networks to
discuss these issues. He also has appeared in numerous publications,
including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week
Magazine, and Fortune Magazine.
He was the lead lawyer in a landmark predatory lending case
involving a door-to-door sales and finance scam. The verdict of $581
million is the largest predatory lending verdict in American history.
As a result of this litigation, the defendant finance company left the
State of Alabama.
Tom was also co-counsel in other consumer fraud cases resulting in
verdicts of $50 million, $45 million, $34.5 million, $25.4 million and
$15 million. Tom has tried a total of thirteen cases that have resulted
in verdicts in excess of one million dollars.
Since 1998, Tom has been the managing shareholder of the firm. He
helped organize the firm into sections based on types of cases. This
has allowed our lawyers to concentrate in certain areas and to be on
the cutting edge in their field. He has helped Beasley Allen become a
national powerhouse in representing victims of wrongdoing.
In 2002, Tom was selected by the National Law Journal as one of the
Top 40 Litigators in the country under the age of 40. Tom also was
named by the Montgomery Advertiser as one of the "Top 40 under 40,"
which is a list of the top 40 business leaders in Central Alabama under
the age of 40. In 2006, Tom was honored by his peers by being chosen
one of the Best Lawyers in America.
In July of 2007, Tom was featured in Fortune Magazine as one of
America's Premier Lawyers. Tom also was featured in Business Alabama
Magazine. Also in 2007, Tom was chosen by Birmingham Magazine as one of
the Best Lawyers in Alabama in the field of personal injury and mass
torts.
Tom has been an active member of the Alabama State Bar Association,
serving on the Board of Bar Commissioners for nine years and the
Executive Committee for two years. In 2005, Tom served as Vice
President of the Alabama State Bar. Tom will become President-Elect of
the Alabama State Bar Association in July 2008, and will assume the
office of President in July 2009.
Tom is a Fellow in the Alabama Law Foundation, which promotes access
to justice for the poor. He is also President of the Montgomery
Cumberland Law School Club. He serves on the Finance Committee for the
Access to Justice Commission, which was founded by the Chief Justice of
the Alabama Supreme Court to find new ways to provide access to justice
for the poor in Alabama.
Tom is a former President of the Montgomery County Bar Association
(1996) and the former President of the Montgomery County Trial Lawyers
Association (1996), and a current member of the Alabama Association of
Justice Executive Committee and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Tom serves on the Boards of the following charitable organizations:
Let God Arise Ministries, a prison ministry; Brantwood Children's Home,
a home for abused and neglected children; the Center for Progress and
Opportunity, headed by former U.S. Senator John Edwards, which explores
ways to expand opportunity for all underprivileged Americans; and the
Cystic Fibrosis Advisory Panel, which helps fight the terrible disease
of CF.
Tom is married to the former Amy Agee of Birmingham, and they have two teenage sons, Rucker and Slade.