PRO

Licensed for 35 years

Ethics and professional responsibility Lawyer at Bloomfield Hills, MI
Practice Areas: Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Civil Rights

Virtual Consultation Available

About Thomas

Biography

Tom Howlett vigorously pursues cases for people and families harmed by others' misconduct, undertaking both individual lawsuits and class actions. His primary areas of focus are professional negligence (medical malpractice and legal malpractice), catastrophic injury, civil rights (wrongful convictions), and consumer class actions.

Tom also works hard to serve the profession and public. Currently, he serves as immediate past president of the Oakland County Bar Association, Michigan's largest voluntary bar association. in 2016, he was recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of 30 Leaders in the Law in the State of Michigan.

Tom has practiced law in Washington, D.C., Michigan and in state and federal courts across the country since 1990. He joined The Googasian Firm, P.C., in 1998, and he serves as our firm's chief operating officer. Tom graduated from Harvard College (A.B. cum laude, 1984) and University of Michigan Law School (J.D., 1990). Prior to law school, he was a reporter for The Dallas Morning News.

From 1990 to 1991, Tom served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Douglas W. Hillman, then-Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. From 1995 to 1997, Tom and his family lived in the Republic of Palau in the western Pacific, where Tom served as Assistant Attorney General and Counsel to the President for that new island nation. From 2000 to 2005, Tom served as chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Law and the Media Committee. Since 2005, he has served as a board member of the Oakland County Bar Association, where he currently serves as president and previously chaired the membership committee. In 2007 and again in 2013, he received the OCBA’s Distinguished Service Award.

In every year since 2006, Tom has been recognized as one of Michigan’s Super Lawyers. He also has received the highest, “AV” peer review rating from LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell. Tom was recently profiled in Motion magazine.

He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the District of Columbia Bar (inactive) and the State Bar of Texas (inactive), as well as the American Bar Association, the American Association of Justice and the Michigan Association of Justice.

We effectively and efficiently represent people harmed by the misconduct of others.

Tom Howlett effectively represents people harmed by attorney malpractice and misconduct

Tom Howlett effectively represents families in wrongful death actions due to the death of loved ones

We effectively represent people injured due to the mistakes and misconduct of others

Practice Areas

Ethics and Professional Responsibility 40%

30 years

40%

Civil Rights 20%

20%

Personal Injury 20%

30 years

20%

Wrongful Death 20%

30 years

20%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Contingency

33%-33%

Awards

2021

Licenses

Licensed in Michigan for 28 years

State: Michigan

Acquired: 1997

Active in Good Standing

No misconduct found

Licensed in District of Columbia for 33 years

State: District of Columbia

Acquired: 1992

Inactive

No misconduct found

Licensed in Texas for 35 years

State: Texas

Acquired: 1990

Inactive

No misconduct found

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Location

The Googasian Firm, P.C.

(248) 952-9048

Fax

6905 Telegraph Rd, Suite 140, Bloomfield Hills, MI, 48301

thomashowlett.me

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Thomas H Howlett's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

33 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 3 of 3 reviews | Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Posted by Kathy | February 17, 2026 | Hired Attorney | Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Legal Malpractice Claim

Tom represented my family and me in a legal malpractice claim with exceptional skill. We couldn't have asked for a better advocate. His expertise and clear communication turned a high-stress situation into a manageable experience, and we are deeply grateful for the successful outcome. Thanks to his ...promptness and consistent updates, we truly felt like a priority throughout the process. Look no further for an attorney—call Tom today!"

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Posted by Ronald L. Cichon | April 15, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Legal Malpractice

Tom Howlett's outstanding expertise and exceptional efficiency in a legal malpractice/breach of contract ligation provided myself with a positive result in which He recovered a personal injury award that was embezzled/stolen from me from a former lawyer. Tom communicated in plain English rather ...than "legalese" to prevent misunderstanding and wasted effort. All my concerns and questions were answered correctly and quickly when needed.

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Posted by Lawrence | January 29, 2015 | Ethics & Professional Responsibility

The Clock Cleaner

When I was looking for a legal malpractice attorney, I approached a former Circuit Judge for advice. "Who would you hire(?)" I asked. "Tom Howlett," the judge replied. "He cleaned my clock!" So I went to "The Clock Cleaner." The judge was right. Thomas Howlett, was thoughtful, strategic, and m...ost importantly, always prepared. He took several months to review my case. He went through 15 cases of documents, looking for the facts. Tom's assessment of the undisputed damages: Ten million dollars. He got every penny that was available. This is a lawyer of unimpeachable integrity. Superior work ethic. And a strategic thinker. He called every Friday afternoon without fail to give me an update. He returned phone calls promptly, and responded to emails within 24 hours. I know the other lawyers that do legal malpractice. Tom Howlett is in a class by himself. He is what other lawyers aspire to be: Effective. He prepares each case for trial, and he is a fearless litigator. If a case can be settled for maximum value, Mr. Howlett will recommend what's in the client's best interest. He will not settle a client's case short to avoid a trial. If you have been wronged by a lawyer, your first call should be to Thomas Howlett, a specialist in Legal Malpractice litigation.

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Thomas H Howlett's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Thomas

Joseph Lavigne

Personal injury lawyer | Mar 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Tom is truly among the best attorneys in any field anywhere in the country. He is hard working, exceptionally well prepared, and dedicated to outstanding results for his clients. I have had the pleasure of working with him on a number of cases involving clients in common and have seen first hand how hard he works to achieve the best possible results for his clients. His considerable skills are only exceeded by the fact that he is a true gentleman and a complete professional to deal with. He is the kind of attorney other lawyers emulate and is the one you want by your side when the chips are down."

Anthony Patti

Litigation lawyer | Jan 13

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I endorse this lawyer wholeheartedly. Tom Howlett is a truly outstanding attorney; in fact, one of the best in the state. He is intellectually brilliant, well-spoken, personable and professional. He aggressively represents his client's interests and is well respected by the courts."

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Joseph Lavigne

Criminal defense lawyer

Stephen Siegel

Commercial real estate lawyer