Tom Merriman

Attorney Tom Merriman is the Managing Partner of Merriman Legal, LLC, a civil litigation law firm in Cleveland, Ohio, representing plaintiffs in personal injury and class action litigation. Tom graduated magna cum laude and earned phi beta kappa honors while majoring in economics at the University of Notre Dame. Deferring his admission to Harvard Law School, Tom joined a community service program in Seattle to help transition former homeless adults into public housing. At Harvard Law School, he achieved the rare grade of A+ in both Negotiation and Jurisprudence. Tom served as a teaching assistant to Harvard Law Professor Roger Fisher, the world-renowned negotiation expert and author of "Getting to Yes.” After graduating cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1988, Tom served a judicial clerkship with the late Honorable Frank J. Battisti, then chief judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Tom then began working as a litigator for Hahn Loeser & Parks. At age 29, Tom was named managing attorney of the Ohio Attorney General’s Cleveland office. Tom directed a team of over 70 assistant attorneys general, investigators, and support staff. Appointed to Attorney General Lee Fisher’s executive staff, Tom advised the attorney general on all major litigation and policy issues. At 31, Attorney General Fisher promoted Tom to deputy attorney general. He created and led multiple innovative law enforcement and litigation programs, including: After serving in government, Tom decided to become a watchdog of government. In 1995, he redirected his career into investigative journalism, first with WEWS-TV and then with WJW’s FOX8 I-Team. During his 14 years in Cleveland television, Tom won 37 Emmy Awards – more than any other reporter in the market during that time period. Some of his most notable work includes: