Tom Choberka
Chief Operating Officer
“I have never met someone that I haven’t learned something from.”
Backstory
I grew up as a middle kid…always observing before plowing ahead. I learned what I wanted for my life through process of elimination and watching others go first. This vantage point enabled me to be certain about what I didn’t want, and those things served as the beginning of me testing my limits. I continue to test my limits and spend most of my time challenging others to try and find theirs. My mother came to the U.S. from Thailand. English was her second language and she spoke with a heavy accent. Even though she was a force to be reckoned with, she always struggled to articulate what she was trying to communicate. Although this frustrated me, the by-product was that I developed a knack for filtering through the confusion and
I grew up as a middle kid…always observing before plowing ahead. I learned what I wanted for my life through process of elimination and watching others go first. This vantage point enabled me to be certain about what I didn’t want, and those things served as the beginning of me testing my limits. I continue to test my limits and spend most of my time challenging others to try and find theirs. My mother came to the U.S. from Thailand. English was her second language and she spoke with a heavy accent. Even though she was a force to be reckoned with, she always struggled to articulate what she was trying to communicate. Although this frustrated me, the by-product was that I developed a knack for filtering through the confusion and rapidly understanding the point that she was trying to verbalize. It also helped me learn how to listen to a seemingly complex scenario and then communicate it clearly to someone else. This ability serves me daily. My father taught me discipline and how to be a leader by example. Sometimes this means just being present and sometimes it means more. He taught me how to be strong when nobody else can. I’ve spent the last 15 years working with attorneys as an executive, consultant and coach. As a group, attorneys rank in the 90th percentile for skepticism and 89th percentile for autonomy. These are qualities that help them shine at the practice of law. These personality traits present opportunity for growth in the spheres of business development and collaboration. After thousands of hours coaching attorneys, watching them gain confidence in areas that are not their primary area of focus still brings a smile to my face. Just knowing the answer has never been enough for me. A relentless curiosity has kept me searching for “the why” in every scenario. I have spent my career taking seemingly complicated concepts or processes and getting to the core of why we do the things we do.
What energizes me
The Pinnacle of Work. It’s a concept that is definitely doable. It starts with being in an environment that enables you to be focused mainly on the highest and best use of your time. From there, it means being in an organization that can challenge you to grow and change what that means. And finally, having a say in the people that you work with every day. The Pinnacle of Work is a practice, something to be worked on daily, but certainly a worthy goal to pursue. Inside and outside of work, I value great conversation that starts without an end goal in mind.
Notable Results
- $7.37 billion jury verdict in a wrongful death case alleging negligence and gross negligence against a Fortune 100 company. The verdict included $375 million in compensatory damages for the family of the 83-year-old victim.
- $52 million settlement in a case where construction equipment collapses on a worksite and crushed an individual.
- $6 million settlement in a case involving a work place injury.
- $8 million settlement in a motorcycle fatality on behalf of a common law spouse.
- $3 million settlement for an oilfield worker who suffered back and knee injuries in a multi-fatality wreck involving an over-turned tractor trailer.
- $6 million settlement in a case involving a work place injury.
- $52 million settlement in a case where construction equipment collapses on a worksite and crushed an individual.
- $3 million settlement for an oilfield worker who suffered back and knee injuries in a multi-fatality wreck involving an over-turned tractor trailer.
- $8 million settlement in a motorcycle fatality on behalf of a common law spouse.
awards
- Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2023 Texas Super Lawyer 2022-23
- D Magazine Best Lawyers in Dallas, 2019-to the present.
- Law Dragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consume Lawyers
- 2022 CVN Most Impressive Plaintiff’s Verdict
Admisson
- Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2023 Texas Super Lawyer 2022-23
- D Magazine Best Lawyers in Dallas, 2019-to the present.
- Law Dragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consume Lawyers
- 2022 CVN Most Impressive Plaintiff’s Verdict
Professional Involvement
- Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2023 Texas Super Lawyer 2022-23
- D Magazine Best Lawyers in Dallas, 2019-to the present.
- Law Dragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consume Lawyers
- 2022 CVN Most Impressive Plaintiff’s Verdict
Recent publications + speaking engagements
- Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2023 Texas Super Lawyer 2022-23
- D Magazine Best Lawyers in Dallas, 2019-to the present.
- Law Dragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consume Lawyers
- 2022 CVN Most Impressive Plaintiff’s Verdict
Education
- Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2023 Texas Super Lawyer 2022-23
- D Magazine Best Lawyers in Dallas, 2019-to the present.
- Law Dragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consume Lawyers
- 2022 CVN Most Impressive Plaintiff’s Verdict