Thomas Schlesinger joined Sally & Fitch in 2007 after spending 20 years handling sophisticated civil litigation in New England, Texas and other jurisdictions around the country. In the early years of his practice, T.J. concentrated primarily on products liability defense and commercial litigation matters for clients in the automotive, truck, heavy equipment and pharmaceutical industries, as well as designers and manufacturers of electronic, recreational and medical products. For much of that time, T.J. acted as discovery and trial counsel on a regional basis for several clients defending claims involving vehicle restraint systems, fuel system integrity, and vehicle stability. In so doing, he appeared as counsel of record in more than a dozen jurisdictions in the northeast and southwest.

T.J. has worked in various capacities beginning as an associate with Campbell & Associates in Boston and subsequently as a partner in the Dallas, Texas firm of Strasburger & Price, in his own firm in Wellesley, Massachusetts and with Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell of Concord, NH and Boston. In addition to his product liability and tort expertise, T.J. has extensive experience representing banks and other financial institutions, real estate developers, commercial landlords and property managers, utility-related entities, insurance companies, and construction concerns. He as successfully handled dozens of jury and bench trials and has appeared before a variety of administrative agencies including MCAD, EEOC, NH Dept. of Labor, and NH Dept. of Environmental Services. T.J. is admitted in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Texas.

T.J. is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (BA, 1982) and Suffolk University Law School (JD, 1985), where he was a member of the law review. T.J. has lectured frequently at professional seminars and continuing legal education conferences on topics ranging from the rules of evidence and trial techniques to the preparation of indemnity and insurance clauses in retail leases.

Reported cases include: Thorndike v. Thorndike, 910 A.2d 1224 (N.H. 2006) (alleged “freeze out” of minority shareholder is not a “continuing wrong” that will toll the running of the statute of limitations); Crack-Sealing, Inc. v. Lucini Motor Sales, Inc., 56 Mass. App, Ct., 1117 (2002) (plaintiff fails to avoid summary judgment on limitations grounds by asserting fraudulent concealment in commercial warranty claim); McDonough v. Marr Scaffolding Co., 412 Mass 636 (1992) (statute of repose applies to design and construction of bleachers in municipal hockey rink).

Real Estate and Land Use Litigation
Bank Litigation 
Construction Litigation
Tort and Product Liability Defense