Thomas W Cranmer

Practice Areas

Representing individual and corporate clients in white-collar criminal defense, corporate compliance and internal investigations, complex commercial and “Bet the Company” civil litigation.

Career

Thomas W. Cranmer is a trial lawyer who concentrates his practice in civil and criminal litigation. With more than 40 years of courtroom experience, his practice focuses on white-collar criminal defense, complex commercial litigation and "bet-the-company" litigation.

Tom is recognized as one of Michigan's leading lawyers. He has been listed in the Top 10 out of more than 45,000 Michigan attorneys in every edition of Michigan Super Lawyers since its inception in 2006 and was ranked as the no. 1 Michigan attorney for 2021 and 2022. In 2020, he was also rated one of the Top 10 Michigan lawyers by Leading Lawyers. Since 2004, he has been ranked in Band 1 as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA, a referral guide to leading lawyers in the United States based upon the opinions of clients and peers. Chambers has noted that Tom is highlighted by commentators for his advocacy skills, courtroom presence, and "fantastic judgment." He is noted as "a first class litigator and a true trial lawyer," "the consummate trial litigator," "an outstanding lawyer," an attorney "of the highest caliber," and "a wonderful litigator who is very bright but practical in his advice." In 2014, he was recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as its Lawyer of the Year. In 2015, he received the Excellence in Defense Award from the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel. In 2018, he received the Western Michigan University-Cooley Law School Integrity in the Community Award, the Professionalism Award from the Oakland County Bar Association and the Julian Abele Cook, Jr.-Bernard A. Friedman Civility Award from the Eastern District of Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Prior to joining the firm, Tom served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Oakland County, Michigan, and an Assistant Chief of the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Tom has extensive experience as a leader and instructor of trial advocacy including teaching for one of the preeminent trial advocacy programs in the United States, the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. In addition, he has lectured and written on a wide variety of civil litigation, criminal law and evidence topics. He is a co-author of a Michigan treatise, Civil Trials and Evidence, a contributing author to Federal Civil Procedure Before Trial/Sixth Circuit, and he has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law for The Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School teaching Evidence.

Professional Memberships

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, International Society of Barristers; American Board of Trial Advocates, State Bar of Michigan President, 2005-06.

Publications

“Civil Trials and Evidence” West Publishing (2001) Co-Author.

Personal

Teaching

Thomas M. Cooley School of Law, Adjunct Professor of Law, (teaching Evidence), 2005-2013

University of Detroit Mercy Inn of Court, 1996-present

Oakland County Bar Association Inn of Court, Founding Member and currently Emeritus Member, 2004-present