State Bar of Michigan 1973
United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
United States District Court, Western District of Michigan
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

State Bar of Michigan, past Chairman of the Negligence Law Section
Association of Defense Trial Counsel, past President
Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, past Board Member
International Association of Defense Counsel, State Membership Committee for the State of Michigan from 1989 to 1999
Wayne County Mediation Tribunal Association
Oakland County Bar Association
American Bar Association

“AV Preeminent” peer rating by Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating given to an attorney
“Super Lawyer” from 2006 through 2013

THOMAS M. PETERS graduated from Wayne State University Law School in 1973 and joined the Vandeveer Garzia firm. He has served the Firm as its Treasurer and eight years as its President and Managing Shareholder. Tom practices principally in the defense of products, trucking companies, construction, business and personal injury lawsuits. He has substantial experience in serious exposure litigation, complex litigation and insurance matters in both the state and federal courts. Tom has represented consumer and industrial product manufacturers with CPSC involvement as well as trucking companies, their owners and insurers. Currently, he represents both American and foreign lighter manufacturers nationally in all forms of litigation. His representation of consumer product manufacturers includes working with a select group of product liability attorneys throughout the country in developing and maintaining a defense program designed to dramatically reduce claims and lawsuits against consumer product manufacturers.

Tom is a past president of the Association of Defense Trial Counsel, a Detroit metropolitan organization. He is also a past board member of the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel and belongs to the International Association of Defense Counsel and served on its State Membership Committee for the State of Michigan from 1989 to 1999. Tom has been elected to and is past Chairperson for the Negligence Section Council of the Michigan State Bar and its roughly 3,000 lawyers. He has sat for over 15 years on the Committee for Wayne County Mediation Tribunal Association selecting defense and neutral mediators. He sits as a mediator in Oakland County Circuit Court and Wayne County Circuit Court. He has acted as a defense and neutral arbitrator and is doing increasingly more work as a sole mediator/facilitator in private mediation. Tom is also currently handling mediations for Federal Court Class Action TCPA cases.

Tom has assisted clients in securing defense counsel in most states in the United States and in countries outside of the United States. Tom has worked in all state and federal courts in Michigan and in many other states. He has also supervised litigation/trials in many other states.