Profile
Tom Pack focuses his practice on pharmaceutical and medical device products liability matters and complex business litigation, including litigation related to tribal nations. Tom guides clients through the litigation process in both state and federal courts, as well as in mediation and arbitration. He has deep experience litigating cases involving FDA-regulated medical devices and has particular experience with the application of federal preemption to product-liability claims.
Tom is actively involved in the legal and business community, presently serving as Treasurer of the Minnesota State Bar Association, on the Board of Trustees of the Minneapolis Foundation, and on other boards and committees. Tom also maintains an active pro bono practice in the civil rights and immigration law fields, with an emphasis on representing asylum seekers fleeing persecution on account of their LGBTQ+ sexual orientations and/or gender identities.
Tom is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Native American Bar Association and as Chair of its Standing Policy Committee. Prior to law school, Tom gained wide-ranging experience relating to rural and American Indian/Alaska Native health as a Truman Fellow and Emerging Leader with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Capabilities
Experience
- Represents global leading medical device manufacturer in several external medical device tort matters in California state court and in various federal courts throughout the country.
- Represents global leading medical device manufacturer in several minimally invasive surgical device tort matters in Minnesota state courts.
- Assisted major automobile manufacturer in investigations related to security breach and intellectual property theft.°
- Represented large manufacturer in patent litigation against competitor involving multiple patents and hundreds of claims.°
- Represented one of the world’s largest technology companies in software and hardware patent litigation, securing settlements.°
- East View Information Systems, Inc. v. Xigent Solutions, LLC (Minn. Ct. App. A17-2066). Secured full dismissal of all claims in a breach of contract matter, with the dismissal affirmed on appeal by the Minnesota Court of Appeals.°
- Represented homebuyer in confidential arbitration proceedings and ancillary Minnesota district court litigation, in which the homebuyer alleged fraudulent nondisclosure of various defects in the home. Secured arbitration award on the merits and subsequent settlement.°
- SRI, Inc. v. Seapine Software, Inc., 3:16-cv-07353 (N.D. Cal.). Defended patent infringement claim, including substantial invalidity discovery, and secured a settlement.°
- Kienholz v. Woodside Homes of Minnesota, Inc. (Minn. D. Ct. 86-cv-16-149). Secured full dismissal of all claims in a construction defect case; also secured dismissal of appeal.°
- Bostic v. Schaefer, 2:13-cv-00395 (E.D. Va.), 14-1167 (4th Cir.). Represented the Plaintiffs in the lawsuit which successfully challenged Virginia’s constitutional and statutory bans on same-sex marriage, which served as a predicate case for invalidating similar bans throughout the Fourth Circuit.°
- Pro bono representation of a family of refugees from Afghanistan who are seeking to stay in the United States after fleeing political and religious persecution by the Taliban.
- Pro bono representation of LGBTQ+ people who sought to stay in the United States after fleeing anti-LGBTQ+ persecution in their home countries, referred by The Advocates for Human Rights.
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Pack prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
- Truman Fellow, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2006-2007
- Emerging Leader, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Indian Health Service), 2007-2009
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Minnesota Monthly, "Top Lawyers in Minnesota," 2023
- Listed, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, “40 Under 40,” 2023
- Selected, Super Lawyers magazine, “Minnesota Super Lawyers Rising Stars,” 2019-2022
- Listed, Benchmark Litigation, “40 & Under Hot List,” 2022-2023
- Recognized, Minnesota State Bar Association, “North Star Lawyers,” 2017-2020, 2022
- Team Member, a Law360 “Product Liability Practice Group of the Year,” 2021-2022
- Selected, Best Lawyers in America, “Ones to Watch,” 2021
- Recognized, National LGBT Bar Association, “Best LGBTQ+ Lawyer Under 40, 2020
- Recognized, Minnesota Lawyer, “Attorney of the Year,” 2019
- Recognized, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, “Business of Pride Honoree,” 2019
- Recognized, Minnesota Lawyer, “Up & Coming Attorney,” 2018
- Board of Trustees, The Minneapolis Foundation, 2022-Present
- Member, Executive Committee, 2023-Present
- Chair, Audit Committee, 2023-Present
- Member, California Indian Law Association, 2023-Present
- Council Member, The Cowles Center, 2019-2022
- Chair, Development Committee, 2020-2022
- Chair, Raze the Barre Committee, 2017-2019
- Board of Directors, Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, 2021-Present
- Member, Defense Research Institute, 2016-Present
- Young Lawyers Steering Committee, 2018-2019
- Co-Vice Chair of Diversity Subcommittee 2018-2019
- Drug & Medical Device Committee, 2016-Present
- Board of Directors, National Native American Bar Association, 2021-Present
- Chair, Standing Policy Committee, 2023-Present
- Chair, Young Lawyers Committee, 2021-2023
- Co-Chair, Stanford Law School Minnesota Alumni Chapter, 2021-Present
- Board of Directors, RECLAIM, 2017-2019
- Board of Directors, AIDS Legal Referral Panel, 2014-2016
- Co-Chair, Events Committee, 2014-2016
- Member, Minnesota Lavender Bar Association, 2016-Present
- Member, Lawyers for Civil Justice
- Member, American Bar Association, 2016-Present
- Member, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2016-Present
- Treasurer, 2023-Present
- Secretary, 2022-2023
- Member, Hennepin County Bar Association, 2016-Present
- Pro Bono Attorney Volunteer, The Advocates for Human Rights, 2016-Present
- Pro Bono Attorney Volunteer, Election Protection Coalition, 2020
Credentials
-
J.D., Stanford Law School
- Editor-in-Chief, Stanford Journal of Civil Rights & Civil Liberties
- Co-President, Native American Law Students Association
-
B.A., East Central University
- George Nigh Award for Top Graduating Senior, 2006
- Truman Scholar, 2005
- California
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Cherokee Nation
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit