After obtaining his JD and MBA from the University of Virginia in 1982, Tom began his legal career in Atlanta with the law firm Jones, Bird & Howell, which later merged to become Alston & Bird, practicing commercial litigation. In 1985, Tom joined the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, prosecuting general crimes, fraud and public corruption. He received a Special Commendation from the Department of Justice for his work prosecuting FHA mortgage loan fraud. In 1990, Tom left the United States Attorney's Office to become Associate Counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel conducting the "Iran/Contra" investigation.

Tom returned to Atlanta in 1991, where he joined the firm now known as Chilivis, Cochran, Larkins & Bever LLP. Since joining the firm, Tom has focused primarily on the area of White Collar criminal defense, representing many clients in all stages of criminal investigations, from the initiation of the investigation through trial. Tom also has spoken and appeared regularly at a variety of seminars, including the Fourth Annual National Seminar on the Federal Sentencing Guidelines (1995), the American Bar Association's national Health Care Fraud seminar (1995), and annual seminars in Georgia on White Collar Crime (1994, 1997, 1998), Health Care Fraud (1997, 1998, 2000), and Real Estate Law (2004). Although Tom focuses on white collar criminal defense, he also has represented many clients in other civil and regulatory arenas, including health care, government contracting, tax, environmental and securities.

A sampling of Tom's cases are listed below:

• United States of America v. James S. Lake , 1:01-CR-023-CAP, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division (hung jury on tax charges);
• United States of America v. Timothy P. Heath , 1:01-CR-174, U.S. District Court, E. District of Tennessee (negotiated plea, 9 level downward departure obtained);
• State of Georgia vs. Asutosh C. Vyas, M.D. , Case No. 99CR03399, State Court of Clayton County (charges dismissed).