Tom Harold Elke

Tom is considerate, thorough, and thoughtful in his consultations. He is prompt in his follow up, and sincere in his approach, allowing for succinct and helpful advice, whether you hire him or not. Great attorney.

Tom Elke has been my primary source of knowledge, direction, and wisdom during two evictions I dealt with regarding a foreclosed single family home I partially rented. When I initially spoke to him, I immediately discerned his intent was to help me compared to the previous lawyers I spoke to. Against the advice of all other attorneys, he respected my intent to fight for my right and generously gave me the time, advise, and strategy to represent myself as pro per. And guess what? I won! Against a bank. There is NO WAY I would have done it without Tom's help. That said, Tom knows his stuff. I lost a lawsuit I perused totally against his advise. I was humiliated by the judge for disregarding Tom's advise, but I accept that I was wrong and Tom was right in all regards when he said "you can't". He's thorough, kind, generous, and kick-your-teeth-in direct. You may not like what he has to say sometimes, but he's the BEST lawyer I have ever worked with. Though his paid services as a counselor are limited, I recommend him for both attorney and counselor.

I called Tom for advice when my landlord sent me a 60-day notice to terminate my tenancy. He's been extremely responsive, thoughtful, and reassuring. During my free consultation he poured over the details of multiple legal documents and gave me specific, actionable advice. His guidance has helped me navigate through this challenging time.

Tom Elke is a superb lawyer. I sought counseltation when opening a small business recently. He was extremely knowledgable and was always quick to reply to any questions or concerns I had. He is thorough, sharp, and professional.

Mr. Elke is a very professional in his field and is a straight forward lawyer. I was very satisfied having such a knowledgeable lawyer on my side who was able to drive the process to successful results.

Tom Elke is top notch. He kept me well-informed of every development in my case. He was aggressive to the very end, resulting in the best possible outcome. Tom Elke is by far the best tenant attorney in San Francisco.

In spite of the fact that Tom is incredibly likeable, personable and charming, he is nevertheless a shark in the in the traditional and most effective sense. I have personally observed him making opposing counsel appear foolish, confused and generally silly. If you have need to stand before a judge, Tom is your best bet to get a positive result. I’ve dealt with several attorneys through the years and can unequivocally state that Tom is among the finest I have had the misfortune to meet. Highly recommended!

Tom was of great help and support in my unlawful detainer case. My master tenant/landlord had hired a high profile lawyer to evict me. I needed someone very aggressive and charismatic to have a chance to prevail. Tom and Alex Merchant were always very prompt to answer my questions. They both attended the settlement conference to great results. I was able to keep my accommodation for two more months and was compensated beyond my expectation. Also my case was successfully resealed with no future penalty. I highly recommend Tom Elke and his partner Alex Merchant. They are very professional, knowledgeable and honest.

Mr. Elke represented me in an eviction case in San Francisco in December 2013. Working through the Eviction Defense Coalition, he did a fine job of understanding my position and conveying it to the opposite side, who withdrew their case, without even a settlement agreement. He gave good advice as to what I should and shouldn't do and what results were realistic. He followed up with advice on my landlord's subsequent actions, such as a garage eviction attempt with no causes stated, much less the required just cause(s). On Mr. Elke's advice, a quick trip the the Rent Board put an end to this attempt.