Murtha Means More
Thomas S. Vangel Murtha Cullina LLP Partner

Partner

Boston
Email: tvangel@murthalaw.com
Phone: 617-457-4072
Fax: 617-482-3868

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Bar & Court Admissions

  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

Education

  • New England School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1988)
  • University of Massachusetts (B.A., summa cum laude, 1985)

Thomas S. Vangel

Thomas Vangel, a partner, has extensive experience representing clients in the areas of business litigation and bankruptcy.

Tom’s litigation practice includes commercial, franchise, automotive, banking, director and officer liability, landlord/tenant, and non-compete litigation. In his bankruptcy practice, Tom is devoted to the representation of Chapter 7 and 11 Trustees, secured and unsecured creditors, landlords and creditors’ committees. He also frequently represents corporate clients in defending complex preference claims and other litigation brought by bankruptcy estate representatives. Tom has significant trial experience in the state and federal courts in Massachusetts.

Tom has lectured to various groups including the Norton’s Bankruptcy Litigation Institute, the National Association of Credit Management, American Bankruptcy Institute, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and the MIT Center for Real Estate. He is a former member of the adjunct faculty at New England School of Law and a former Managing Editor of the New England Law Review.

Tom serves as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, is Co-Chair of the firm's Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Practice Group, and is a former Chair of the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group, as well as the former Chair of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. He served as partner in charge of the Boston office from 2000-2003.

Representative Cases

  • In January and February 2014, successfully represented a publicly traded regional bank in lender liability case involving a failed 108 unit housing development.  After a ten day trial in Superior Court, recovered $4.8 million judgment for the bank client plus attorneys’ fees and defeated entirely a $5.8 million counterclaim asserted by the developer. 

  • Represented the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers and two individual dealers before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in May 2014 in a landmark franchise law case involving Tesla Motors.

  • Representing the Chapter 7 Trustee in several matters in the case of In re: Inofin, Inc. currently pending in Boston.  Serve as lead counsel in litigation involving the security interest granted to the funding source for this sub-prime automotive lender for an $8 million portfolio of used car loans.

  • Representing the Chapter 7 Trustee in all matters concerning the Bluewater Hld. Corp. case including claims regarding the validity and priority of liens and director and officer liability claims.

  • Recovered $11 million judgment in August 2011 for a bank client in the Massachusetts Superior Court in connection with litigation brought against guarantors of a failed 200 unit condominium development.

  • Represented the Chapter 7 Trustee in all matters in the Get Connected, Inc. case including director and officer liability claims and all litigation brought in this case.

Publications

  • "E & O and D & O Liability Insurance and Claims in Bankruptcy", American Bankruptcy Institute, 2014
  • “Practical Pointers for Dealing with Non-Compete Agreements”, Association of Employment Professionals, 2011
  •  "When it comes to terminating a restaurant franchise, know all facets of the relationship" Restaurant News, May 1999, Co-Author
  • “Hot Topics in Franchise and Distribution Law" MCLE 1999, Co-Author
  • Massachusetts Bar Association (Former member of Trial Practice and Procedure Committee)
  • Boston Bar Association, Bankruptcy and Litigation Sections
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Boston Lawyers Group, Executive Committee, 2009
  • Listed as leading Bankruptcy/Restructuring lawyer in Chambers USA, Chambers & Partners-Publishing (Chambers.com)
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Commercial Litigation since 2013 (Copyright 2015 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC)
  • Holds an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Rating from Martindale-Hubbell
  • Selected as Massachusetts Super Lawyer, every year since 2005
  • Elected to 5 person Executive Committee of Murtha Cullina LLP 2007-2012, 2018-2021
  • South Shore Hospital, Board of Directors, 2005-2016
  • Caritas Communities, Inc. Braintree, MA, Director, 1998-2001
  • Hingham Yacht Club, Executive Committee, since 2007
  • Boston Lawyers Group, Executive Committee since 2010
Overview

Thomas Vangel, a partner, has extensive experience representing clients in the areas of business litigation and bankruptcy.

Tom’s litigation practice includes commercial, franchise, automotive, banking, director and officer liability, landlord/tenant, and non-compete litigation. In his bankruptcy practice, Tom is devoted to the representation of Chapter 7 and 11 Trustees, secured and unsecured creditors, landlords and creditors’ committees. He also frequently represents corporate clients in defending complex preference claims and other litigation brought by bankruptcy estate representatives. Tom has significant trial experience in the state and federal courts in Massachusetts.

Tom has lectured to various groups including the Norton’s Bankruptcy Litigation Institute, the National Association of Credit Management, American Bankruptcy Institute, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and the MIT Center for Real Estate. He is a former member of the adjunct faculty at New England School of Law and a former Managing Editor of the New England Law Review.

Tom serves as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, is Co-Chair of the firm's Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Practice Group, and is a former Chair of the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group, as well as the former Chair of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. He served as partner in charge of the Boston office from 2000-2003.

Representative Cases

  • In January and February 2014, successfully represented a publicly traded regional bank in lender liability case involving a failed 108 unit housing development.  After a ten day trial in Superior Court, recovered $4.8 million judgment for the bank client plus attorneys’ fees and defeated entirely a $5.8 million counterclaim asserted by the developer. 

  • Represented the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers and two individual dealers before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in May 2014 in a landmark franchise law case involving Tesla Motors.

  • Representing the Chapter 7 Trustee in several matters in the case of In re: Inofin, Inc. currently pending in Boston.  Serve as lead counsel in litigation involving the security interest granted to the funding source for this sub-prime automotive lender for an $8 million portfolio of used car loans.

  • Representing the Chapter 7 Trustee in all matters concerning the Bluewater Hld. Corp. case including claims regarding the validity and priority of liens and director and officer liability claims.

  • Recovered $11 million judgment in August 2011 for a bank client in the Massachusetts Superior Court in connection with litigation brought against guarantors of a failed 200 unit condominium development.

  • Represented the Chapter 7 Trustee in all matters in the Get Connected, Inc. case including director and officer liability claims and all litigation brought in this case.

Publications

  • "E & O and D & O Liability Insurance and Claims in Bankruptcy", American Bankruptcy Institute, 2014
  • “Practical Pointers for Dealing with Non-Compete Agreements”, Association of Employment Professionals, 2011
  •  "When it comes to terminating a restaurant franchise, know all facets of the relationship" Restaurant News, May 1999, Co-Author
  • “Hot Topics in Franchise and Distribution Law" MCLE 1999, Co-Author
Practices & Industries
Memberships
  • Massachusetts Bar Association (Former member of Trial Practice and Procedure Committee)
  • Boston Bar Association, Bankruptcy and Litigation Sections
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Boston Lawyers Group, Executive Committee, 2009
Recognition
  • Listed as leading Bankruptcy/Restructuring lawyer in Chambers USA, Chambers & Partners-Publishing (Chambers.com)
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Commercial Litigation since 2013 (Copyright 2015 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC)
  • Holds an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Rating from Martindale-Hubbell
  • Selected as Massachusetts Super Lawyer, every year since 2005
  • Elected to 5 person Executive Committee of Murtha Cullina LLP 2007-2012, 2018-2021
Community Activities
  • South Shore Hospital, Board of Directors, 2005-2016
  • Caritas Communities, Inc. Braintree, MA, Director, 1998-2001
  • Hingham Yacht Club, Executive Committee, since 2007
  • Boston Lawyers Group, Executive Committee since 2010
Press Releases
Newsletters & Alerts
Articles
Speaking Engagements
Bar & Court Admissions
  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
Education
  • New England School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1988)
  • University of Massachusetts (B.A., summa cum laude, 1985)
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