Thomas N Griffin III

Practice Areas

Environmental

Litigation

Renewable Energy

PFAS & Emerging Compounds

Career

Clients turn to Tom Griffin when an environmental hurdle threatens their business transactions. Having tackled numerous environmental challenges and situations, Tom doesn’t shy away when deals that make business sense involve significant environmental issues. He is at his best when crafting practical solutions to complicated problems. As managing partner, Tom sees parallels between his experience handling multifaceted legal cases and providing leadership to a growing law firm.

Tom began his career as an honors attorney with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and has been involved in water law, wetlands, endangered species, National Environmental Policy Act issues, cleanup programs, and many other environmental matters for the last 30 years. He has a unique understanding of how environmental regulations should be drafted, interpreted, and applied. He also knows, firsthand, how the agencies that create these regulations work. He continues to collaborate with agencies such as the Corps, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and various state entities.

After years in the courtroom, Tom is still energized by the sound of the gavel. But going to court isn’t about Tom. Before stepping foot in the courtroom, he learns about his clients' business goals and clearly outlines the costs, risks, and benefits of litigating their case. With his business-oriented approach, Tom helps his clients move forward and achieve their objectives.

Tom likens his role as managing partner of the firm to handling a complex piece of litigation – constantly moving, always a problem to solve, always something new and different to do. He brings the same can-do approach that marks his law practice to his role as managing partner. Guiding his firm through the dramatic changes taking place in the legal industry, he strives to stay on the cutting edge. Tom looks at ways in which he can give clients what they need from a 21st century law firm, while at the same time ensuring that Parker Poe remains a firm where future generations of lawyers will want to build their practices.

Education