Thomas R. Harkness

Thomas R. Harkness currently serves as President of the Foundation of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Mr. Harkness has been listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America since 1999, has been selected as a Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly magazine and is named one of the Best Lawyers in Austin by Austin Monthly magazine.

Since 1975, Mr. Harkness has specialized in product liability, natural gas explosions, aviation litigation, and complex general negligence cases. He is an instrument-rated pilot with a strong engineering background earned in his time at the U.S. Air Force Academy; he is also a member of the Interstate Trucking Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice. Mr. Harkness has obtained the largest product liability verdict in Travis County history ($13 million) and has obtained numerous other multimillion-dollar personal injury verdicts for his clients.

After graduating from the Air Force Academy with honors in 1968, Mr. Harkness attended The University of Texas Law School, where he also graduated with honors. Shortly thereafter, he served as an Air Force JAG in Japan. In January 1976, Mr. Harkness began private practice as an aviation and product liability lawyer at the prestigious Bronson firm in San Francisco. Two years later, he returned home and has practiced with the personal injury attorneys at our Austin, Texas firm ever since.

Mr. Harkness has three children and is dedicated to children's issues. Tom has served as President of the Board of the Austin Children's Museum and has coached more baseball and basketball teams than his memory can retain.

Thomas R. Harkness is licensed to practice before the State Bar of Texas; the State Bar of California; the United States District Courts, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas and Northern District of California; and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

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