Tom was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission January 5, 2006, to a term that expires in September 2012. He joined the FTC from the San Francisco office of Latham & Watkins, where he was the former managing partner and most recently a partner, working in the firm's antitrust and health care and life sciences divisions. Tom served as chair of the ABA's Antitrust Section in 1990, and he has chaired the California Bar Association's Antitrust Section. He served as the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection director from 1973-1975, and in 1989 was a member of the Special Committee to Study the Role of the FTC. Nationally regarded for his antitrust and trade regulation law expertise, he has been lead counsel in more than 100 federal and state antitrust cases and has more than 40 years experience before the Bar. In 2003, Tom was honored as Antitrust Lawyer of the Year by the California State Bar Antitrust Section.