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Attorney

Tom Wilmoth

Tom Wilmoth is a driven attorney who uses his investigative background and complex-litigation experience to help individuals expose fraud and protect public funds.

Attorney Tom Wilmoth brings complex-litigation experience, law-enforcement insight, and personal empathy to his work helping whistleblowers try to expose fraud against the government and protect the integrity of public funds.

Tom handles large-scale, high-stakes cases – including whistleblowing, mass torts, multidistrict federal cases, and national consumer class actions. His background on the corporate-defense side of complex lawsuits gives him an insider’s understanding of how powerful institutions operate, how they defend themselves, and where critical evidence may hide. Today, he uses that knowledge to help individuals stand up to those same types of powerful institutions.

A North Carolina Upbringing Rooted in Hard Work

Tom was raised in Dobson, North Carolina, where he learned early in life that determination and perseverance could open doors that weren’t always visible. As a teenager, he worked multiple jobs – from tobacco fields to grocery stores – to help support himself and fund his education. He later became the first in his family to graduate college, earning his degree from UNC Greensboro.

The sudden loss of his father while he was in school forced him to rethink his path and commit even more intentionally to public service. That commitment ultimately led him to law.

Service in Law Enforcement — and a New Direction

After graduating from college, Tom joined the Greensboro Police Department, serving the community for more than eight years. His work as a police officer gave him a front-row view of how the legal system affects people’s daily lives and led him to conclude that justice is strongest when someone can follow a case all the way to its conclusion.

That realization prompted him to pursue a legal career. At age 28, he enrolled in Elon University School of Law, balancing the demands of law school with the discipline, perspective, and maturity earned from years in public service.

A Career Shaped by Adversity — and Empathy

Tom initially planned to prosecute cases, but a government hiring freeze pushed him onto a different path: corporate complex litigation. For more than a decade, he worked on the defense side of significant civil cases. He gained deep technical knowledge but missed the personal connection with clients whose lives were directly affected by wrongdoing.

A series of unexpected medical crises dramatically altered his perspective. A devastating accident left him blind in one eye, and later, a detached retina in the other eye caused a period of total blindness. Relearning how to navigate the world gave him profound insight into what it means to have your life turned upside down — and how vulnerable a person can be when everything familiar changes overnight.

These experiences now inform the compassion and patience he brings to every client he represents.

Advocacy for Whistleblowers

“As an attorney, I stand beside people who speak up when something isn’t right.”

Tom became a plaintiff’s attorney in 2021 and now applies his meticulous preparation and relentless pursuit of the truth to cases with national significance. His transition into whistleblower work was natural: it combines his passion for public service, his investigative instincts from law enforcement, and his extensive experience battling complex corporate structures.

Whistleblower cases require persistence, discretion, and a willingness to stand with and protect  clients who may fear retaliation or uncertainty. Tom deeply values that role.

“I want to help people do the courageous thing. When someone steps forward to report fraud, they shouldn’t stand alone.”

North Carolina Roots and Family Life

Tom has always called North Carolina home. He lives in Kernersville with his wife and their three children. Outside the office, he and his family love to hike, spend time on the water, and explore new places together.

 

 

5 For standards for inclusion for “Best Lawyers,” visit: bestlawyers.com.

Licensed In

North Carolina

Education

Elon University School of Law

Elon, NC
2010 J.D.

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC

2002 B.A. Political Science

Admitted to Practice

U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina

Memberships

North Carolina Bar Association

Forsyth County Bar Association

North Carolina Advocates for Justice

Honors/Awards/Accomplishments

“Best Lawyers”5 list for Consumer Protection Law by Best Lawyers in America, 2025 – 2026

Publications

Co-authored Amicus Curiae Briefs filed with the NC Supreme Court on behalf of the NC Association of Chiefs of Police, NC Sheriffs’ Association, and NC Conference of District Attorneys

“How to Catch a Copycat – And How to Avoid Being One,” July 2019 presentation on how to protect your intellectual property

Contact the Carolina
Whistleblower Attorneys

If you’re wondering if it’s a good idea to speak with a whistleblower lawyer about what you know, let us set the record straight.

  • Corporate ethics hotlines can be risky and may lead to termination. If you’ve already done this, call us immediately.
  • Your coworkers could be aware of the fraud – or complicit in it – and you should not talk to them about it.
  • The first claim to be filed under the False Claims Act can proceed – if you’re not first, you’re at a serious disadvantage and may get nothing (another reason not to speak to your coworkers about it).
  • A confidential discussion costs you a few minutes, but could save you time, stress, and money.

1-888-292-8852

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Disclaimer: Submission of any information to CarolinaWhistleblower.com does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. We have attorneys licensed to practice law in North and South Carolina.

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