THOMAS KENNEDY SAMPSON & TOMPKINS LLP
For nearly 50 years, Thomas Kennedy Sampson & Tompkins LLP has represented some of the world’s largest and most well-known companies. We represent our clients, big and small, with skill, pride, and vigor in an array of practice areas. We are committed to excellence and dedicated to the efficient use of resources in the pursuit of a successful result. We build a strong relationship with our clients by supporting individuals and companies in a wide range of practice areas, including tort defense, premises liability, product liability, employment litigation, warranty litigation, medical malpractice, commercial litigation, and insurance defense.
Clients have come to rely on us and our flexible practice group structure. The versatility of this system allows the firm to call upon the skills of attorneys throughout the firm to provide the highest quality representation for a wide range of legal and business issues. Our size also guarantees accessible communication and personal attention to client needs at all attorney levels, and our dynamic approach to cases lets us tailor our abilities to your legal, business, and professional requirements.
Our clients are worldwide leaders in their respective industries. They include The Coca-Cola Company, United Parcel Service, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Kaiser Permanente, Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation, Home Depot, American Family Insurance Company, Aarons, Georgia Power Company, City of Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, The Kroger Co., Macy’s, and Petco.
We pride ourselves on providing the best possible representation available – anywhere — and at cost-effective rates. Our reputation as excellent and reliable lawyers attracts clients to us. The results we achieve keep them coming back. Contact us today to discuss your legal needs and learn how we can help.
The firm consists of ten lawyer and a fifteen person support staff. The firm’s partners are:
Thomas G. Sampson
Tom Sampson is the Managing Partner of Thomas Kennedy Sampson & Tompkins LPP. He is the product of a family steeped in the law. His roots are in Durham, North Carolina, where his father, the late Daniel George Sampson, was a law professor and Dean at North Carolina Central University. Like his father, Sampson graduated from Morehouse College. He went on to obtain his law degree for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Sampson has practiced law in Atlanta for more than 45 years, representing major corporations and governmental entities in major, high-stakes litigation throughout the United States.
Because of his stellar reputation as a trial lawyer, Sampson has received numerous awards and recognitions. He was the first African American inducted into the Georgia Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and he has been listed in every edition of The Best Lawyers in America since 1993. Sampson has served as a Master in both the Bleckley and Logan Inns of the American Inns of Court. He was appointed by Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin to a special panel to evaluate the Atlanta Municipal Court and the City Court of Atlanta and serves as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of GeorgiaAtlanta Magazine has consistently included Sampson in its list of the “Best Lawyers in Atlanta,” and he has been a Georgia “Super Lawyer” in every year of its existence. In 2006, Morehouse College honored Sampson with its Bennie Trailblazer Award, the highest level of recognition bestowed upon alumni by the College. In 2010, for his civic contributions, accomplishments and leadership, the Atlanta Hawks honored Sampson as a Trailblazer during a special presentation at a Hawks game in Phillips Arena.
Sampson is a former president of Atlanta’s Gate City Bar Association as well as the Atlanta Legal Aid Society.
Jeffrey E. Tompkins
Jeff Tompkins is a go-to trial lawyer in Atlanta. He has successfully tried numerous cases in state and federal courts throughout Georgia, representing some of the world’s and Atlanta’s best-known companies. Jeff has received a rating of “AV” (the highest rating attainable) for legal ability and ethics from Martindale-Hubbell, the world’s foremost legal rating publication. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for his work in tort defense and employment matters, and has been recognized as a Georgia “Super Lawyer” each year since 2008. Jeff was a Charter Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Jeff received the Gate City Bar Association’s A.T. Walden Outstanding Lawyer Award in 2011 and the Gate City Bar Association Judicial Section’s Walden-Herndon Outstanding Lawyer Award in 2008.
Jeff is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College. He received his Doctor of Law degree from Emory University, where he was Director-in-Chief of the Moot Court Society.
Jeff has handled cases involving a wide range of legal disputes, including wrongful death, breach of contract, medical malpractice, age, race, sex and national origin discrimination, Family Medical Leave Act, premises liability, fraud, breach of contract, and general tort matters. Also, Jeff has considerable experience in transactional matters, including licensing and marketing law. As licensing counsel to the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG), Mr. Tompkins handled the licensing deals between AGOC and Nissan, Texaco, General Mills, Holiday Inn, Bryers and several other multinational corporations. Jeff has handled hundreds of endorsement deals and has served as reviewing counsel in thousands of television, radio and print media advertisements.
Thomas G. “Woody” Sampson, II
Woody Sampson is an accomplished trial lawyer. He regularly represents Fortune 500 companies, individuals and governmental entities in various types of complex legal matters. He has a wide variety of experience, having been involved in trying more than 100 cases in the civil and criminal arena. In addition to his trial experience, Woody has served as General Counsel to the Fulton County Board of Ethics for the past ten (10) years. As Counsel to the Board of Ethics, Woody has advised the Board on numerous complaints that have come before them concerning ethical violations of Fulton County elected officials and employees of Fulton County. He has authored all of the requests for advisory opinions for the past eight (8) years from individuals seeking to determine whether their prospective conduct constituted an ethical violation. In addition, Woody has represented and advised City of Atlanta elected officials on issues concerning election law violations and other ethical issues concerning elections.
Woody has been regularly recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyer and is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. He has served as a Barrister in the Bleckley Inn of Court. Woody currently serves as General Counsel of the Atlanta Public Schools Ethics Commission and, like his father, is a former president of Atlanta’s Gate City Bar Association. Woody is a graduate of Morehouse College. He received his law degree from the University of Georgia.
The firm is proud to have seven well-educated, highly-skilled associates.
