Picture of Thomas B. Vertetis

Thomas B. Vertetis

Partner, Board of Directors
tvertetis@gth-law.com
Download VCard Print This Profile

Phone: 253.620.6471
 Fax: 253.620.6565

Wells Fargo Plaza
1201 Pacific Avenue, Suite 2100
Tacoma, Washington 98402

Primary Areas of Practice

General and Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury including a special interest in representing individuals with developmental disabilities, Governmental Liability, Medical Malpractice, Product Liability, Premises Liability Defense

Education

J.D., Villanova University School of Law, 1997

B.A., Business Economics, University of San Diego, 1994
cum laude

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

Washington State Courts
New Jersey State Courts (inactive)
Pennsylvania State Couts (inactive)
U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Professional & Bar Association Memberships

Member, Joseph A. Halpern Inns of Court

Washington State Bar Association

American Bar Association

Washington State Trial Lawyers Association

Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association (TPCBA)

New Jersey Bar Association (inactive)

Pennsylvania Bar Association (inactive)

Professional History

  • Joined Firm in 2004
  • Attorney with Burgess Fitzer, Tacoma, Washington, 2000-04
  • Assistant Prosecutor, Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office (New Jersey), 1998-00
  • Served as a Law Clerk to Judge Jane B. Cantor/Joyce E. Munkacsi, Middlesex County Superior Court, 1997-98
  • As a trial lawyer, Tom has tried in excess of 35 cases to juries, the bench and arbitration panels.

Representative Cases/Transactions

  • Purdy Costless v. Hansen, et al. - Successfully obtained verdict for local pharmacy against employees involved in a theft ring designed to convert hundreds of thousands of dollars in pharmaceutical medications.
  • Estate of Nadia Van Rosendael v. Puyallup School District - Represented parents and estate of student in wrongful death action brought as a result of failure of school district to enforce transportation policies.  The matter reached settlement on the third day of trial for a confidential amount.
  • Confidential v. Confidential - Recovered the largest dental malpractice settlement in Washington on behalf of a client left with partial permanent facial paralysis after receiving an over injection of dental anesthetic.
  • Northern Oyster v. State of Washington, et al., - Co-counsel to a 1.4 million jury verdict in Pacific County against the State of Washington for unlawful and tortuous conduct that interfered with the client's business expectations.
  • Figuracion v. Hyder et als. - Represented a six-year old boy left with permanent bilateral blindness after his pediatrician and ophthalmologist jointly failed to timely identify and treat an intracranial condition that caused optic nerve atrophy. The matter reached settlement for a confidential amount.
  • Evans v. West Isle Air - Represented defendant air carrier in wrongful death action brought by passenger’s spouse and children arising from crash of Cessna 172n. The case was tried over a three week period with the plaintiff receiving a jury verdict of less than half of what she asked the jury to award and near defendant's pre-suit settlement offer.
  • Estate of Yvonne Sanford v. UWMC - Represented the husband and estate in a wrongful death action brought as a result of the hospital's failure to properly monitor patient’s blood pressure which lead to an acute intracranial hemorrhage. The matter reached settlement prior to trial for a confidential amount.
  • Duncan v. Vong & Battle - Represented defendant restaurant in negligence action brought by plaintiff as a result of a fall entering the facility due to a concrete step. The damages included total knee replacement and special damages in excess of $100,000. Tried case to conclusion and obtained a defense verdict.
  • Estate of O’Neill v. Franciscan Health Systems - Represented the wife, son and the estate of the father in a wrongful death action brought as a result of the hospital’s failure to properly supervise the patient admitted for psychiatric evaluation. The patient unilaterally left the facility and took his own life. The matter reached settlement for a confidential amount.

Community Activities

  • Chairman, TPCBA-Volunteer Legal Services Committee
  • Weekly tutor, McCarver Elementary School--Werlin Reading Program
  • Advisory and Fundraising Board Member, University of Washington Autism Center and Experimental Education Unit
  • Board Member, Law Fund
  • Board Member, Tacoma Pierce County Bar Foundation

Honors, Publications & Presentations

  • 1994 Alcala Award Recipient (Administration and faculty's selection for "outstanding graduate.")
  • Member, Villanova University School of Law Moot Court Team
  • Semi-Finalist 1996 National Tax Moot Court Competition, Tampa, Florida
  • Seminar Presenter, WSBA, 14th Annual Employment Law Institute “Qualifying and Disqualifying Expert Witnesses.”
  • "Rising Star" as voted by Washington Law & Politics (2001-08)
  • Co-Recipient, 2002 TPCBA Pro Bono Award