Thomas R. Hightower Jr.

    Managing Partner | Attorney at Law

    Thomas “Tommy” R. Hightower Jr. is the managing partner of the Hightower Law Firm, with over thirty-five years of litigation experience. He attended Tulane University on a football scholarship for his bachelors’ degree in political science while serving as an active member of his fraternity: Kappa Sigma. There, he became the first freshman starting quarterback in school history and was awarded the Outstanding Freshman Award in 1976. He received his juris doctorate from the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center and was admitted to the Louisiana Bar Association in 1983. Upon graduation, Tommy and his family moved to Lafayette to begin his legal career, founding Thomas R. Hightower, Jr. APLC in 1994.

    Our litigation expert, most of Tommy’s practice is devoted to aiding our clients in court. His areas of practice include bad faith insurance, construction law, insurance defense, personal injury, and product liability. He is admitted to practice before all courts in Louisiana, including local, state, federal, and appellate courts, as well as the United States Supreme Court.

    By successfully working on both sides of the aisle, he has pursued and defended cases arising out of a wide range of claims. Combining knowledge from representing clients on both sides of the aisle, he provides top-quality representation for every client he serves.  

    During his collegiate career as a senior, he was awarded the Ben Weiner Inspiration award. He is also a member of the Chancellor’s Council and a former member of the Alumni Board of Trustee’s at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU. A past president and chairman of the Lafayette Bar Association, Tommy is currently involved with several professional associations including the Louisiana Bar Association, the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, and the International Amusement & Leisure Defense Association.

    He is heavily involved with the community in Acadiana, serving as a sponsor of the Acadiana Center for the Arts, PASA, the Jacob Crouch Foundation, the Beaver Club, Downtown Lafayette Unlimited, as well as several other local and state-level civic associations. As an avid waterfowl hunter and saltwater fisherman, Tommy is a long-time sponsor of the Coastal Conservation Association and Lafayette Ducks Unlimited.

     

    Bar Admissions

    – Louisiana, 1983

    – U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana, 1984

    – U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, 1984

    – U.S. District Court Central District of Louisiana, 1984

    – U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1984

    – U.S. Supreme Court, 1997

    Awards & Honors

    – Outstanding Freshman Award – Tulane University, 1976

    – Varsity Football Letterman – Tulane University, 1976-1979

    – Ben Weiner Inspiration Award – Tulane University, 1979

    – Fellow of the Louisiana Bar Association

    Professional Associations & Memberships

    – Lafayette Bar Association President, 1998-1999
    – Lafayette Bar Association Member, 1983 – Present
    – Lafayette Bar Foundation Chairman, 2015 – 2018
    – Lafayette Bar Foundation Board of Directors
    – Louisiana State Bar Association
    – Louisiana Association of Defense Council
    – International Amusement & Leisure Defense Association
    – Paul M. Hebert Law Center Chancellor’s Council, 2000 – Present
    – Paul M. Hebert Law Center Alumni Board of Trustees, 2000 – Present
    – Lafayette Ducks Unlimited Chairman, 1991-1992