About thomas ladegaard |
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background & education
Tom grew up in North County San Diego, surfing during the day and working as a cook in Del Mar restaurants at night. Tom attended Sonoma State University (SSU) in wine country for undergrad.
Tom double-majored in Philosophy and Communications Studies while working full-time as a kitchen manager at a brewpub. He graduated from SSU in 2000, then returned to San Diego for law school.
Tom enrolled at California Western School of Law in Downtown San Diego, finishing the first year in the top quarter of his class. Tom transferred to the University of San Diego School of Law during his second year. He joined the campus newspaper, called Motions, and became the Editor-in-Chief during the third and final year of school. Tom was responsible for delegating story assignments, writing, editing, selling advertising, layout and distribution, all while maintaining his course load and internship. Tom graduated from USD in 2003 in the top 19th % of his class.
Tom double-majored in Philosophy and Communications Studies while working full-time as a kitchen manager at a brewpub. He graduated from SSU in 2000, then returned to San Diego for law school.
Tom enrolled at California Western School of Law in Downtown San Diego, finishing the first year in the top quarter of his class. Tom transferred to the University of San Diego School of Law during his second year. He joined the campus newspaper, called Motions, and became the Editor-in-Chief during the third and final year of school. Tom was responsible for delegating story assignments, writing, editing, selling advertising, layout and distribution, all while maintaining his course load and internship. Tom graduated from USD in 2003 in the top 19th % of his class.
legal experience
Upon graduating and passing the bar exam in 2003, Tom worked as an associate at a real estate litigation firm in Mission Valley, where he second-chaired a bench trial in a fraud case and an arbitration in a commercial lease dispute. Tom then spent a year running his own law office, where he represented business owners in litigation matters.
Over the next 12 years Tom worked at firms around San Diego County, developing a specialty for business disputes. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants, in all phases of litigation from initial case workup to appeals. Tom has represented a wide variety of clients, including developers and contractors, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the San Diego Zoological Society, insurance companies and a broad array of businesses. Tom's favorite tasks in litigation are written advocacy (motion drafting) and depositions (sworn witness examinations outside court).
Tom identifies with business owners because he respects their entrepreneurial spirit, optimism, and tenacity, and because Tom is a business owner himself. In addition to owning a law practice, Tom owns Eternal Roots, LLC, where he interviews senior citizens and creates custom documentaries about their lives. Eternal Roots also creates memorial videos for the San Diego County Bar Foundation's annual Distinguished Lawyer Memorial program. Here is a sample of one of the videos he created in 2018.
Over the next 12 years Tom worked at firms around San Diego County, developing a specialty for business disputes. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants, in all phases of litigation from initial case workup to appeals. Tom has represented a wide variety of clients, including developers and contractors, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the San Diego Zoological Society, insurance companies and a broad array of businesses. Tom's favorite tasks in litigation are written advocacy (motion drafting) and depositions (sworn witness examinations outside court).
Tom identifies with business owners because he respects their entrepreneurial spirit, optimism, and tenacity, and because Tom is a business owner himself. In addition to owning a law practice, Tom owns Eternal Roots, LLC, where he interviews senior citizens and creates custom documentaries about their lives. Eternal Roots also creates memorial videos for the San Diego County Bar Foundation's annual Distinguished Lawyer Memorial program. Here is a sample of one of the videos he created in 2018.
law office of thomas ladegaard, apc
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In mid-2017, Tom felt compelled to leave his downtown employer and venture out on his own. Tom continued to work in civil litigation, but he saw an opportunity to expand the scope of his practice. Having litigated business disputes for many years, Tom recognized that problems usually arose during contract formation or performance, resulting in lawsuits that could have been avoided if an attorney was involved. Tom therefore expanded his practice to include entity formations and contract drafting. Trademark registrations have also become a major focus of Tom's practice.
Tom loves public speaking and has built much of his practice from conducting legal workshops, where he educates business owners on how to limit their liability. |
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Tom took his own medicine and incorporated the Law Office of Thomas E. Ladegaard, APC in mid-2018. He lives in Oceanside and works in Carlsbad. Tom spends his free time with his children, at the gym, editing videos, cooking and trying to find Waldo, wherever he might be hiding.
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