Tom Fitzhugh is a senior partner in the firm of Fitzhugh, Elliott & Ammerman, P.C. and President of the Longshore Institute. He maintains an active law practice primarily in longshore and federal trial and appellate litigation and regularly appears before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Benefits Review Board, and Administrative Law Judges.
He earned a B.S. in Geophysics from Texas A&M University and a J.D. (with honors) from the University of Texas. After a tour in the U.S. Army with the United States Army Security Agency, he worked with Amoco as a geophysicist prior to law school. Since 1976 he has been in private practice and served as a Special Master and mediator for federal courts.
Mr. Fitzhugh produces and edits The Longshore Newsletter, The Longshore Procedure Manual, and Brahm's Court Index, publications interpreting the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (and its extensions), and presents seminars on the LHWCA to the bar and insurance industry.
A frequent lecturer and author on maritime law topics and the Longshore Act, Mr. Fitzhugh is a member of Maritime Law Association, serving on its Martime Torts & Casualties and Carrier Security Committees. He is currently an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University in maritime law and has served as General Counsel to the Maritime Security Council, the international shipping organization devoted to commercial vessel security.
Mr. Fitzhugh is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, the Houston Bar Foundation, and a Charter Member of the College of the State Bar of Texas. His awards include The Gold Band Award from the U.S. Customs Service (1992), The Hammer Award, the Vice President’s National Performance Review (1995), and an Award of Excellence form the U.S. Secretary of Transportation (1996). Mr. Fitzhugh is fluent in German and has a working knowledge of Spanish, Italian and French.