Thomas McMorrow has extensive experience providing counsel on a broad range of federal, state and local government policy; regulatory; and operations issues. He represents private and public sector clients across multiple industries, including governance, healthcare, land use and technology.

Tom is recognized for his ability to facilitate the resolution of intractable policy and regulatory disputes. He was instrumental in getting California’s first-in-the-nation civil Gideon law enacted. The legislation, which was vetoed several times before his involvement, establishes the right to counsel for low-income individuals involved in life-changing civil proceedings.

Similarly, Tom successfully challenged an administrative decision that would have denied California’s Medi-Cal population access to breakthrough medicines, and he has represented multiple Medi-Cal providers to ensure access to necessary medical services.

In the public procurement arena, Tom has defended the award of some of California’s highest-valued state services contracts, and challenged other major state contracting decisions. The state retained Tom as its counsel in defending its decision to terminate one of the largest contracts in the state’s history.

Tom served as outside counsel to the president’s Community Empowerment Board, representing the Clinton administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, before state and local governments that successfully competed for supplemental tax credits and federal grant allocations to be dedicated to job creation.

In 2009, California Lawyer honored Tom as an Attorney of the Year for his work in enacting civil Gideon. He serves on the Order of Malta Free Clinics’ board of directors and on the University of California Center Sacramento’s advisory board. He is the immediate past chair of the Coro Foundation’s national board of trustees.

Tom is responsible for the firm’s California policy practice and the management of the Sacramento office.