Tom Gilhooly

Biography

I am a criminal defense trial attorney in Southwest Florida. My office, Foley & Wilson is an established law practice with locations in Fort Myers and Naples, Florida.

I previously served as an Assistant State Attorney (state prosecutor) where I prosecuted a wide array of cases in county and circuit court, including felonies and misdemeanors, as well as county and municipal ordinance violations.

I am intimately familiar with Southwest Florida, having grown up in the area. My familiarity with the people and places in Southwest Florida has allowed me to bring a nuanced perspective to the practice of criminal law. I studied Political Science, Sociology, Business Administration, and Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida. During my undergraduate studies, I completed internships with the Department of Environmental Protection as well as the Florida Guardian ad Litem Office. In 2018, I received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, along with minor degrees in Sociology, Business Administration, and Entrepreneurship.

In 2019, I began my legal studies at the University of Florida Levin College of Law as a Governor’s Scholar, a full scholarship awarded to a selective group of students. I represented my student body while in law school as a member of the Student Bar Association, served on the Executive Board of the Criminal Law Association as it’s Treasurer, and sat on the Executive Board of the Journal of Technology Law & Policy as its Executive Student Works Director and Electronic Discovery Editor. During my time there, I interned for the Cuban American Bar Association and the Southern Legal Counsel, as well as the State Attorney’s Offices in both Gainesville and Fort Myers, Florida. I graduated from law school and became a member of the Florida Bar in 2022.

I joined the Office of the State Attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit immediately and spent the next two years refining my trial skills while prosecuting an extremely diverse range of criminal offenses. During my tenure, I prosecuted cases ranging from violent weapon offenses and drug charges to criminal traffic cases and even municipal ordinance violations.

As a former state prosecutor who grew up in Southwest Florida, I have the necessary background, experience, and skills to identify weaknesses in the State’s case and formulate an effective defense strategy to obtain the best results for you. As an Assistant State Attorney, I had an average case load of 800 cases and spent nearly every day in a courtroom before the honorable Judges of Lee County. I have the courtroom experience and trial skills that only a former prosecutor can bring to the table. Now, I put all of these skills to use in aggressively defending you and your rights.

Education

• University of Florida, Levin College of Law, Gainesville, FL
  • J.D. – 2022
• University of Florida
  • B.A. Bachelor of Arts – 2018
  • Major: Political Science
  • Minor: Sociology, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship

Bar Admissions

• Florida