Thomas G. Sampson Sr. in a professional suit, smiling confidently, with a blurred library background, representing his legacy in the legal community.

Thomas G. Sampson Sr.

Founder

    Thomas G. Sampson Sr.’s Biography: Life, Achievements and Impact

    1946 – July 3, 2025

    Thomas (“Tom”) G. Sampson Sr., Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Thomas Kennedy Sampson & Tompkins LLP, was a towering figure in the Atlanta legal community and a source of enduring pride for the city’s Black community. For more than five decades, he embodied excellence, integrity, and advocacy—breaking barriers, mentoring generations, and shaping the course of justice in Georgia and beyond.

    Born into a family deeply rooted in the law—his father, the late Daniel George Sampson, was a law professor and Dean at North Carolina Central University—Tom’s journey reflected the determination and achievement that defined the African American professional rise of the civil rights era. A proud graduate of Morehouse College (B.A., 1968) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law (J.D., 1971), he also studied at the London School of Economics and was a member of the Society of International Business Fellows. Returning to Atlanta in 1971, Tom co-founded what would become one of the South’s most respected Black-owned law firms, building a practice known for championing the rights of clients from all walks of life.

    Over the course of his distinguished career, Tom earned a national reputation in personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injury litigation. He represented the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia in major litigation, secured record-setting verdicts—including multiple recoveries exceeding $10 million—and successfully defended Fortune 500 corporations. His professional milestones include:

    • Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers (2022)

    • First African American inducted into the Georgia Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates

    • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America annually since 1993

    • Charter Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America

    • Recognized as a Georgia “Super Lawyer” every year of its existence

    • Recipient of the Bennie Trailblazer Award from Morehouse College (2006)

    • Inducted into the Gate City Bar Association Hall of Fame (2002) and the National Bar Association Hall of Fame (2014)

    • Lifetime Achievement Award, Daily Report (2016)

    Beyond his legal victories, Tom was a civic leader whose influence touched government, nonprofits, and community institutions. He served as Special Assistant to the Attorney General for the State of Georgia, President of the Gate City Bar Association, President of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, and member of the Atlanta Judicial Commission. He lent his expertise to organizations including the Carter Center, the Atlanta Urban League, and Senior Citizens Services of Metropolitan Atlanta. As an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgia State University and instructor at the Atlanta College of Trial Advocacy, he mentored countless attorneys—many of whom went on to become prominent leaders in their own right.

    Tom’s life and career stand as a testament to the resilience, brilliance, and leadership of not only Atlanta’s Black legal community but the overall legal community as a whole. His achievements are woven into the city’s history, his mentorship has shaped its future, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations to break barriers and pursue justice with courage.


    Practice Areas:

    • Personal & Catastrophic Injury

    • Premises Liability

    • Wrongful Death

    • Medical Malpractice

    Education:

    • Morehouse College, B.A., 1968

    • London School of Economics, Member, Society of International Business Fellows

    • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, J.D., 1971

    Bar Admissions:

    • Georgia (1971)

    • North Carolina (1971)