Tom Lidbury
Counsel
123 N. Wacker Drive
21st Floor
Chicago, IL 60606
21st Floor
Chicago, IL 60606
tom.lidbury@nelsonmullins.com
Tom focuses his practice on eDiscovery and information governance and brings extensive trial and appellate experience across the country. He advises clients in commercial and consumer class actions, data breach, health care, mass tort, and employment litigation.
Tom counsels clients on discovery issues at all stages of litigation, including legal hold, preservation, collection, review, production, and...
Tom focuses his practice on eDiscovery and information governance and brings extensive trial and appellate experience across the country. He advises clients in commercial and consumer class actions, data breach, health care, mass tort, and employment litigation.
Tom counsels clients on discovery issues at all stages of litigation, including legal hold, preservation, collection, review, production, and trial. He also works with clients to develop and implement practical records retention and information governance programs that align with business needs and technology environments.
trial. He also works with clients to develop and implement practical records retention and information governance programs that align with business needs and technology environments.
Experience
The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.
Previous Professional Experience
- Partner, eDiscovery and Information Law focused firm (2024–2025)
- Shareholder, Labor and employment law firm (2018-2024)
- Director of eDiscovery & Records Management, Health Care Service Corporation, (2017-2018)
- Special Master, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (2017-2024)
- Partner & eDiscovery Chair, at Am Law 200 firm (2016-2018)
- Partner, Am Law 100 firm (2013-2016)
- Partner and eDiscovery Chair, Am Law 100 firm (2011-2013)
- Partner and eDiscovery Chair, Am Law 100 firm (1997-2011)
- Associate, Am Law 100 firm (1993-1997)
- Associate, securities litigation boutique firm (1992-1993)
Representative Matters
- Testifying expert on eDiscovery on behalf of telecom company in multi-billion-dollar federal investigation
- Testifying expert on eDiscovery on behalf of insurance company in multi-billion-dollar class action
- Consulting expert on eDiscovery on behalf of social media company in multi-billion-dollar government investigation and class actions
- Won $169 million jury verdict in insurance coverage trial
- Won summary judgment in nationwide consumer class action against university
- Secured dismissal of multi-billion-dollar securities class action
- Secured dismissal of consumer class action claims against a national retailer
Education
- Washington University in St. Louis, JD
- University of Chicago, AB, Politics, Economics, Rhetoric and Law
Admissions
- Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
Clerkships
- Summer Law Clerk, U.S. District Judge Clyde S. Cahill, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (1991)
Practice Areas
The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.
Previous Professional Experience
- Partner, eDiscovery and Information Law focused firm (2024–2025)
- Shareholder, Labor and employment law firm (2018-2024)
- Director of eDiscovery & Records Management, Health Care Service Corporation, (2017-2018)
- Special Master, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (2017-2024)
- Partner & eDiscovery Chair, at Am Law 200 firm (2016-2018)
- Partner, Am Law 100 firm (2013-2016)
- Partner and eDiscovery Chair, Am Law 100 firm (2011-2013)
- Partner and eDiscovery Chair, Am Law 100 firm (1997-2011)
- Associate, Am Law 100 firm (1993-1997)
- Associate, securities litigation boutique firm (1992-1993)
Representative Matters
- Testifying expert on eDiscovery on behalf of telecom company in multi-billion-dollar federal investigation
- Testifying expert on eDiscovery on behalf of insurance company in multi-billion-dollar class action
- Consulting expert on eDiscovery on behalf of social media company in multi-billion-dollar government investigation and class actions
- Won $169 million jury verdict in insurance coverage trial
- Won summary judgment in nationwide consumer class action against university
- Secured dismissal of multi-billion-dollar securities class action
- Secured dismissal of consumer class action claims against a national retailer
Recognitions
The bar rules of some states require that the standards for an attorney's inclusion in certain public accolades or recognitions be provided. When such accolades or recognitions are listed, a hyperlink is provided that leads to a description of the respective selection methodology.
- Martindale Hubble, AV Rated
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association
- Seventh Circuit Bar Association
- Chicago Bar Association
Community
- Lecturer in Law, University of Chicago Law School (2011-2014)
- Adjunct Professor, Chicago-Kent College of Law (2018-2020)
Leadership
- Vice President & Secretary, University of Chicago Alumni Law Society (2014-2017)
- Co-Chair of Principle Development Subcommittee, Seventh Circuit Electronic Discovery Pilot Program Committee (2009-2017)
Tom focuses his practice on eDiscovery and information governance and brings extensive trial and appellate experience across the country. He advises clients in commercial and consumer class actions, data breach, health care, mass tort, and employment litigation.
Tom counsels clients on discovery issues at all stages of litigation, including legal hold, preservation, collection, review, production, and... trial. He also works with clients to develop and implement practical records retention and information governance programs that align with business needs and technology environments.
Experience
The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.Previous Professional Experience
- Partner, eDiscovery and Information Law focused firm (2024–2025)
- Shareholder, Labor and employment law firm (2018-2024)
- Director of eDiscovery & Records Management, Health Care Service Corporation, (2017-2018)
- Special Master, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (2017-2024)
- Partner & eDiscovery Chair, at Am Law 200 firm (2016-2018)
- Partner, Am Law 100 firm (2013-2016)
- Partner and eDiscovery Chair, Am Law 100 firm (2011-2013)
- Partner and eDiscovery Chair, Am Law 100 firm (1997-2011)
- Associate, Am Law 100 firm (1993-1997)
- Associate, securities litigation boutique firm (1992-1993)
Representative Matters
- Testifying expert on eDiscovery on behalf of telecom company in multi-billion-dollar federal investigation
- Testifying expert on eDiscovery on behalf of insurance company in multi-billion-dollar class action
- Consulting expert on eDiscovery on behalf of social media company in multi-billion-dollar government investigation and class actions
- Won $169 million jury verdict in insurance coverage trial
- Won summary judgment in nationwide consumer class action against university
- Secured dismissal of multi-billion-dollar securities class action
- Secured dismissal of consumer class action claims against a national retailer
Education
- Washington University in St. Louis, JD
- University of Chicago, AB, Politics, Economics, Rhetoric and Law
Admissions
- Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
Clerkships
- Summer Law Clerk, U.S. District Judge Clyde S. Cahill, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (1991)
Practice Areas
- E-Discovery & Information Governance
- Class Action & Multi-Claim Litigation
- Antitrust
- Commercial Litigation & Business Torts
- Products Liability
Industries
The bar rules of some states require that the standards for an attorney's inclusion in certain public accolades or recognitions be provided. When such accolades or recognitions are listed, a hyperlink is provided that leads to a description of the respective selection methodology.
- Martindale Hubble, AV Rated
- American Bar Association
- Seventh Circuit Bar Association
- Chicago Bar Association
- Lecturer in Law, University of Chicago Law School (2011-2014)
- Adjunct Professor, Chicago-Kent College of Law (2018-2020)
- Vice President & Secretary, University of Chicago Alumni Law Society (2014-2017)
- Co-Chair of Principle Development Subcommittee, Seventh Circuit Electronic Discovery Pilot Program Committee (2009-2017)
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