Attorney Thomas L. Gill is Of Counsel to the North Bay Area law firm Favaro, Lavezzo, Gill, Caretti & Heppell, PC, where he practices primarily in the areas of civil litigation and criminal defense.

Fellow lawyers and judges rank Mr. Gill at the highest level of professional excellence (AV Preeminent) as reported by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings. From 2010 to 2021, Mr. Gill was selected for inclusion to SuperLawyers of Northern California magazine. Only five (5) percent of the lawyers in Northern California receive this honor, which is based on peer recognition and professional achievement.

From 2015-2021, Tom was selected as a Member of the Nation’s TOP ONE PERCENT by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel (NADC) and the Top 10 Lawyers in California by the National Academy of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDA).

Mr. Gill handles both criminal and civil litigation for the firm. He has handled over one hundred fifty (150) jury trials, made over six thousand (6,000) court appearances on both civil and criminal matters, has handled over twenty five (25) homicide cases, including death penalty cases, and has obtained recoveries for clients totaling in the millions of dollars.

Education

Professional Memberships and Activities

Awards

  • Super Lawyers of Northern California 2010-2021
  • The National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys (NACDA) 2014 Top Attorneys Award in California - Read More
  • The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019
  • The American Society of Legal Advocates: Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers in the State of California 2014 and 2015 - Read More
  • The National Association of Distinguished Counsel, Top One Percent 2014-2021

Published Cases

  • McGlothlen v. DMV, 71 CA 3d 1005 (1977) - Constitutionality of S. B. 38
  • Graham v. Municipal Court, 123 CA 3d 1018 (1981) - May an elected county supervisor defend criminal defendants in his home county?
  • People v. Maestas, 204 CA 3d 1208 (1988) - Illegal police conduct and bad faith in search warrant context
  • People v. Cruz, 209 CA 3d 560 (1989) - Leading case on reimbursement to county for cost of court-appointed counsel
  • Neilsen v. Superior Court, 55 CA 4th 1150 (1997) - Discoverability of defendant's psychiatric records by a co-defendant in a capital case