Thomas E. Reilly

Tom is a partner in the Business Litigation practice of Troutman Pepper Locke, with more than 20 years of experience. Tom’s distinguished trial record includes successful outcomes in various state and federal trial courts, as well as numerous reported cases in the appellate courts. Tom represents companies in high profile, high stakes business disputes, including claims for breach of contract, fraud, tortious interference, and other business torts and statutory claims. His clients include public and private companies from various industries, including banking and other financial services, real estate, energy, health care, and manufacturing. Tom has served as lead trial counsel for clients in jury trials, bench trials, mediations, and arbitration proceedings in numerous jurisdictions, including Georgia, Florida, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. Tom also has extensive appellate experience.

• Lead counsel to Georgia state agency in putative class action on behalf of millions of citizens alleging data breach claims.
• Lead counsel for national bank in AAA arbitration proceeding with hedge funds concerning contractual entitlement to funds paid in connection with discounted payoff of $280 million syndicated loan facility.
• Lead trial counsel for health care companies in various contract disputes, including distributor agreements, joint venture and partnership agreements, administrative services agreements, and software agreements.
• Lead trial counsel to numerous national and community banks and other financial institutions in various litigation and arbitration matters, including actions for breach of guaranties and loan documents, actions to appoint receivers, foreclosure confirmations and deficiency actions, and lender liability actions.
• Representing major utility company on successful motion to dismiss appeal of administrative decision arising out of ongoing regulatory construction monitoring of the U.S.’s only active nuclear power plant construction project.
• Representing major utility company against putative class action lawsuit concerning calculation of customer bills with respect to municipal franchise fee costs recovery.
• Representing major utility company against claims by lessor for alleged corrosion damage to leased railcars.
• Counsel to major utility company in litigation for breach of contract, negligence and declaratory judgment concerning alleged business interruption and lost profits.
• Obtained unanimous decision in the Georgia Supreme Court on behalf of real estate developer, defeating claims brought by purchasers for alleged fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and violations of the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act.
• Obtained unanimous decision in the Georgia Court of Appeals on behalf of services provider, affirming breach of contract and enforcing liquidated damages provision.
• Litigation counsel to publicly traded real estate investment trust in various litigation and arbitration matters, including claims alleging breach of contract, fraud and other business torts.
• Lead counsel to publicly traded gaming company in various litigation matters in state and federal court, including claims for breach of contract, tortious interference, declaratory judgment, and misappropriation of trade secrets.
• Lead counsel to software developer in litigation and arbitration concerning breach of contract, business torts, and copyright infringement claims.

Representative Reported Cases

• Novare Group, Inc. v. Sarif, 290 Ga. 186 (2011).
• Metro Land Holdings Invs., LLC v. Bank of Am., N.A., 311 Ga. App. 498 (2011).
• Weinstock v. Novare Group, Inc., 309 Ga. App. 351 (2011).
• Belans v. Bank of Am., N.A., 309 Ga. App. 208 (2011).
• Sarif v. Novare Group, Inc., 306 Ga. App. 741 (2010).
• Mariner Healthcare Mgmt Co. v. Sovereign Healthcare, LLC, 306 Ga. App. 873 (2010).
• Belans v. Bank of Am., N.A., 306 Ga. App. 252 (2010).
• Mun. Elec. Auth. v. Gold-Arrow Farms, 276 Ga. App. 862 (2005).
• Wilson v. Prudential Industrial Properties, LLC, 276 Ga. App. 180 (2005).
• Coop. Res. Ctr. v. Southeast Rural Assistance Project, 256 Ga. App. 719 (2002).
• Multifamily Mortg. Trust 1996-1 v. Ara Associates-Shangri-La, 242 Ga. App. 465 (2000).

• Best Lawyers in America®: Litigation – Banking and Finance (2020-2026)
• Benchmark Litigation: “Local Litigation Star” in Georgia (2022, 2023-2025)
• Georgia Rising Star in Business Litigation by Law & Politics and Atlanta Magazine
• Georgia Trend magazine’s Legal Elite
• Super Lawyer in Business Litigation by Law & Politics and Atlanta Magazine