Tom Strong is an employment attorney who defends against employee claims, such as discrimination, wage and hour, and family, and medical leave. Tom also defends employers against occupational safety and health citations, mine safety and health citations, and public accommodation claims, including website accessibility. He provides litigation avoidance counseling to employers in each of these areas. He represents employers in covenants not to compete and trade secret litigation, and counsels employers in drafting enforceable covenants not to compete in an environment of conflicting and changing state laws.
Tom represents clients in the financial services, retail, hospitality, construction, biotechnology, food service, manufacturing, and mining industries, and represents government contractors.
Represented a client where the court granted partial summary judgment prior to discovery (Arbabi v. Fred Meyers, Inc., 205 F. Supp. 2d 462, D. Md. 2002)
Represented a client where the court granted summary judgment against plaintiff's claims of discrimination and retaliation prior to discovery (Bourne v. North American Trade Schools, Civ. No. CCB-12-2993, D. Md. 2013)
Represented a client where the court granted summary judgment against plaintiff's claims of discrimination and retaliation prior to discovery. The decision was affirmed by the Fourth Circuit in a per curiam decision (Chancey v. North American Trade Schools, 2010 WL 4781306, D. Md. 2010)
Represented a client where the court denied motion for reconsideration of grant of motion to dismiss discrimination claims (Cureton v. Cianbro, 2007 WL 397025, D. Md. 2007)
Represented a client where the court granted a motion to dismiss plaintiff's discrimination claims (Cureton v. Cianbro, 2006 WL 3537407, D. Md. 2006)
Represented a client where the court partially granted a motion to dismiss claims of discrimination (Ferdinand-Davenport v. The Children's Guild, 742 F. Supp. 2d 772, D. Md. 2010)
Represented a client where the court granted a motion to dismiss a range of claims including claims of discrimination (Sewell v. Westat, Inc., 2021 WL 5233753, D. Md. Nov. 10, 2021)
Occupational Safety and Health
Obtained dismissal of multiple serious citations before the Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, on appeal from the decision of the administrative law judge affirming the citations
Obtained dismissal of a serious fall protection citation issued to a general contractor before the Maryland Commissioner of Labor and Industry, on appeal from the decision of the administrative law judge affirming the citation
Obtained a favorable ruling from Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission judge allowing a late filing of a notice of contest, after which the Occupational Safety and Health Commission judge vacated the citation against employer
Obtained dismissal of willful citations issued to an employer after a trial before an administrative law judge
Assisted in defense of an employer in a fatal construction incident, with favorable result for the client
Trade Secret & Covenant Not To Compete
Obtained court order requiring former employee to turn over multiple external storage devices for forensic examination to determine if an employee had misused information belonging to her former employer
Represented a client in Covance Laboratories, Inc. v. Orantes, 388 F. Supp. 2d 613 (D. Md. 2004)
Overtime and Unpaid Wages
Obtained a motion to dismiss from the court, against claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and a partial motion to dismiss related to contract and fraud claims (Avery v. Chariots for Hire, 748 F. Supp. 2d 492, D. Md. 2010)
Obtained a ruling enforcing an arbitration clause, despite claims of procedural and substantive unconscionability. Obtained a similar ruling in a parallel state court case filed by same plaintiff. (Schies v. New Day Financial, Civil Action No.1:14-cv-00095, D. Md. Jan 13, 2014)
The NonProfit Times publishes Ronald W. Taylor, Jeff Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Strong's article "Pick One: Is it volunteering for trouble or trouble with volunteers?" on December 1
J.D.cum laudeUniversity of Michigan Law School1995
Michigan Journal of International Law
B.A.summa cum laudeCatholic University of America1991
Harry S Truman Scholarship Semi-Finalist
Archdiocesan Scholar
Distinguished Major in Financial Management for Class of 1991
Bar Admissions
Maryland
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
Professional Memberships and Activities
Member, American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
Member, Maryland Bar Association
Community
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Pro Bono
Provides pro bono employment advice to a variety of nonprofit organizations
Volunteerism
President, Board of Directors, TurnAround, Inc.– a private nonprofit agency that provides counseling and other services to victims of sexual assault, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and domestic violence, 2017-2021