Thomas Hayes
Tom was focused on providing effective criminal defense even before he was out of law school, having served as a clerk for the Franklin County Public Defender’s office, where he ultimately started his career upon graduation. After 13 years in the Public Defender’s office defending cases ranging from assault to murder, Tom decided to strike out on his own in 2006 when he opened The Law Office of Thomas F. Hayes, LLC. in historic German Village.
Over the course of his career, Thomas Hayes has represented thousands of clients in all types of criminal proceedings. He has handled some of the most complex cases in the state, including death penalty and federal cases, as well as the more common type of case many face such as drug offenses, DUI, sexual assault, and theft. He has the reputation, experience, and relationships with judges and court personnel to step into any courtroom and ultimately bring a case to its best conclusion for his client. Clients do not pay for a “learning curve” with Tom; he has done it all.
In 2014, Tom ran for Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge where he was highly rated by the Columbus Bar Association’s screening committee. From 2007-2019, Tom served as a board member for Alvis, Inc., a community-based drug and alcohol treatment program. Tom also serves the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Education Foundationas a board member and is the board Vice President for the North East Storm Hockey organization.
Tom earned his B.S. in Political Science from Hartwick College in 1990 and J.D. from Capital University Law School in 1993 and is licensed to practice law in Ohio and the United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, Columbus Bar Association, the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Tom’s interests expand well outside of the law. Always active in outdoor pursuits, he particularly enjoys mountain biking, backpacking, kayaking and escaping back to the Northeast to ski. When not watching one of his three sons sporting events, he still finds time to play hockey.