Thomas Whitaker, Florida Civil Trial Lawyer

Areas of Practice

Tom has developed his skills in personal injury, wrongful death, and insurance coverage litigation during his 30-year tenure as a Florida lawyer. His practice includes the entire spectrum of personal injury matters, including injuries and death arising from the negligence of others involving automobiles, trucks, personal watercraft, injury while on the premises of others, and other causes of significant and catastrophic injury.

During the decades of legal experience he brings to his clients, he participated in the representation of insurance coverage disputes between policyholders and insurance companies, including matters associated with sinkhole losses, pollution damage, water damage, defective construction, and other common damage caused to individual and multiunit properties. In his capacity representing clients treated unfairly by insurance companies, he has successfully prosecuted bad faith claims associated with liability insurance coverage disputes.

Personal Biography

“Over the years practicing law, I most value the connection I have felt with my clients, helping them in my capacity as their attorney, but also as their counselor during difficult times in their lives”

There was never any question about what Tom would do professionally. “It was pretty much a given as I was growing up that this is what I was going to do.” He recalls fond childhood memories watching his dad try cases as the catalyst that propelled him into law. Whitaker is a third-generation attorney, having the torch passed to him from his trial lawyer dad. He remembers going to the Hillsborough County courthouse on days off from Jesuit High School even when his dad wasn’t the featured lawyer, just so he could observe. It’s that passion for the fight that naturally led to Whitaker taking up the challenge of being a lawyer.

Tom remembers the first case he ever tried, in St. Petersburg, Florida, when he was in a prosecution clinic working with the State Attorney’s office as a student at Stetson Law School, where he was also a member of the school’s first Mock Trial Team. After graduation, Tom joined the State Attorney’s office as an assistant, enjoying the energy and excitement of working with law enforcement and representing the people of the State of Florida. The hard work of representing the State of Florida created the foundation for his strength as a civil trial lawyer later, moving from First-Degree murder and other serious criminal cases to cases involving negligence and personal injury.

Tom and Chris, his wife of 24 years, enjoy keeping up with their 13 year old son, Tommy. Hiking and white water rafting are favorite family times in the mountains of western North Carolina. You can also catch them kayaking or biking near their home in Bradenton where they have lived for 20 years.

Outside of the long list of legal experience that runs in his family, Whitaker brings a fresh perspective to the courtroom by trying to humanize the process and really understand each client’s needs instead of just plugging in details to a preset plan. And, he credits that attribute to his time working with estate planning in the recent past.

“I like working with people, and the estate work made me more well-rounded as an attorney. You have to listen to your clients carefully to learn what matters most to them, rather than doing all the talking, and that experience has put me more in tune with being a counselor as well as an attorney to my clients,” he says.

Today, Whitaker enjoys the team atmosphere of Corless Zinober – working together and helping others accomplish what they need to do in and out of the courtroom. “We’re not just a group of Lone Rangers that share office space.”

Growing up, he reached the pinnacle in the Boy Scouts of America – earning the rare distinction of Eagle Scout. Former designations include being certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Circuit Court Mediator and Board Certified in Civil Trial by the Florida Bar. He is currently licensed to practice law in Florida and North Carolina. He’s an active member of the Bridge Church and the Sarasota Wildmen – a men’s group named after the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge.

Played any sports growing up?

Baseball in local Tampa Little League and Pony League. Football at Tampa Jesuit High School. Discovered Lacrosse in college at The University of the South and continued to play for a couple of years after graduation with the Tampa Bay and University of Tampa Lacrosse Clubs throughout Florida.