VADA Member Spotlight

This month’s spotlighted VADA member is Tom Garrett of Harman Claytor Corrigan & Wellman, P.C.  Tom is a graduate of the University of Richmond and the University of Virginia School of Law.  He has served his fellow VADA members as Chair and Vice-Chair of the VADA’s Policy Coverage Section.  Tom also is a frequent writer and speaker on insurance coverage topics.

1.         Where were you born?

Bedford, Virginia.

2.         Tell us about your spouse. Children. Pets.

My wife Sharon is also from Bedford.  We have no idea when we first met.  My first memory of her is about 1978 when she was jumping around in the swimming pool, holding her broken arm, wrapped in plastic, over her head.  She is the interior design manager for Rowe Furniture.  My sons are Tucker and Scott.  Tucker is autistic, which adds considerable perspective to life.  Scott is a rising senior at Hanover High School.  June is our dog.

3.         What type of law do you practice?

Insurance coverage.

4.         How long have you been a member of VADA?

15 years.

5.         What do you like most about practicing law?

The duel of dispositive motion briefing.

6.         What have you enjoyed most about your time in VADA?

Attending the annual conferences.  It is one of the few opportunities to see friends and colleagues from around the state in a single setting. 

7.         What is the one app on your phone you cannot live without?

I can live without all of them.  My brother still uses a flip phone.

8.         Do you have a favorite movie or television quote?

“We have a pool, and a pond.” – Ty Webb from Caddyshack.

9.         What movie or TV show can you watch over and over again, no matter how many times you have seen it?

Just about any Coen Brothers movie.  David Huddleston was from Bedford County, so I have to go with The Big Lebowski.

10.       What is at the top of your bucket list?

Retiring.

11.       What was your undergraduate major?

English.

12.       What was your first job?

Working in an apple orchard on Flat Top Mountain.

13.       When I am not at the office, I like to …

Relax with the family while enjoying a Miller High Life.

14.       If I wasn’t practicing law, I would be …

Broke.

15.       What would your courtroom walk-up music be?

“Mule Skinner Blues” – Bill Monroe.

16.       What is your favorite travel spot?

Any beach in North Carolina.

17        What super power do you wish you had?

The scratch golf game super power.

18.       What book is currently on your bedside table?

“Guns, Germs and Steel” – Jared Diamond.

19.       What is the first live concert you attended?

Van Halen.

20.       What is your definition of success?

Happiness.