headshot of Tom Bell

G. Thompson Bell, III

Partner

Tom concentrates his practice on complex commercial, trade secret,  and employment litigation and counseling. He has been lead counsel on a number of precedent-setting decisions involving the financial services, insurance and gaming industries. He is currently the outside General Counsel for one of the fastest growing not-for-profit providers of behavioral health and human services in the U.S.

Tom has extensive experience in the Pennsylvania Supreme, Commonwealth and Superior Courts. In the Supreme Court, he successfully defeated the first court challenge to the issuance of a slot machine license after the passage of The Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act. He also was lead counsel before the Supreme Court representing one of the largest banks in the country in litigation to stop a takeover of its Board of Directors.

Tom is a frequent lecturer at colleges and universities, bar associations and industry and community groups.

Prior to joining Stevens & Lee, he was a supervising attorney for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission’s Harrisburg region. In this capacity, he was lead counsel in numerous cutting edge employment discrimination cases.

  • Curry v. Presque Isle Downs, Inc.: Successfully defeated the first court challenge to the issuance of a slot machine license under the Pennsylvania Gaming Act
  • Pittsburgh Palisades v. Presque Isle Downs, Inc.: Successfully defended the first challenge to a Pennsylvania horse race license after the passage of The Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act
  • Nicolas v. Old Guard Group: Served as lead counsel in the first U.S. case to gain court approval for the demutualization of an insurance company without payment of surplus to policyholders
  • Carpenter Technology Corp. v. Ugine Steel: Served as lead counsel in one of the rare cases in the United States in which an injunction was obtained against a former employee and new employer under an “inevitable disclosure” theory
  • Pennsylvania State Police v. PHRC: Served as lead counsel in the first Pennsylvania appellate decision on the meaning of “disability” in the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act
  • Salley v. Circuit City: Served as lead counsel in the first case by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on the drug user exception to the Americans With Disabilities Act
  • Berks County Bar Association, Past President
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association, Judicial Evaluation Committee
  • American Bar Association
  • Reading-Berks Human Relations Council, Past Vice President
  • Threshold Rehabilitation Services, Former Chair of Board
  • National Council on Alcoholism, Past Vice President
  • Concern Professional Services, Former Board President
  • CASA of Berks County, Director
  • Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in the area of Litigation, 2017-2019 and 2023

Education

  • The Pennsylvania State University, M.A. in Business
  • Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University, J.D.
  • Colgate University, A.B.

Bar Admissions

  • Pennsylvania

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Powerful partnerships. Standout solutions.

headshot of Tom Bell
G. Thompson Bell, III
Partner
tom.bell@stevenslee.com
  • Reading
  • Phone: 610.478.2203
  • Fax: 610.988.0804
Areas of Focus
Practice
  • Litigation
  • Labor and Employment

Tom concentrates his practice on complex commercial, trade secret,  and employment litigation and counseling. He has been lead counsel on a number of precedent-setting decisions involving the financial services, insurance and gaming industries. He is currently the outside General Counsel for one of the fastest growing not-for-profit providers of behavioral health and human services in the U.S.

Tom has extensive experience in the Pennsylvania Supreme, Commonwealth and Superior Courts. In the Supreme Court, he successfully defeated the first court challenge to the issuance of a slot machine license after the passage of The Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act. He also was lead counsel before the Supreme Court representing one of the largest banks in the country in litigation to stop a takeover of its Board of Directors.

Tom is a frequent lecturer at colleges and universities, bar associations and industry and community groups.

Prior to joining Stevens & Lee, he was a supervising attorney for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission’s Harrisburg region. In this capacity, he was lead counsel in numerous cutting edge employment discrimination cases.

  • Curry v. Presque Isle Downs, Inc.: Successfully defeated the first court challenge to the issuance of a slot machine license under the Pennsylvania Gaming Act
  • Pittsburgh Palisades v. Presque Isle Downs, Inc.: Successfully defended the first challenge to a Pennsylvania horse race license after the passage of The Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act
  • Nicolas v. Old Guard Group: Served as lead counsel in the first U.S. case to gain court approval for the demutualization of an insurance company without payment of surplus to policyholders
  • Carpenter Technology Corp. v. Ugine Steel: Served as lead counsel in one of the rare cases in the United States in which an injunction was obtained against a former employee and new employer under an “inevitable disclosure” theory
  • Pennsylvania State Police v. PHRC: Served as lead counsel in the first Pennsylvania appellate decision on the meaning of “disability” in the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act
  • Salley v. Circuit City: Served as lead counsel in the first case by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on the drug user exception to the Americans With Disabilities Act

Affiliations

  • Berks County Bar Association, Past President
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association, Judicial Evaluation Committee
  • American Bar Association
  • Reading-Berks Human Relations Council, Past Vice President
  • Threshold Rehabilitation Services, Former Chair of Board
  • National Council on Alcoholism, Past Vice President
  • Concern Professional Services, Former Board President
  • CASA of Berks County, Director

Recognition

  • Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in the area of Litigation, 2017-2019 and 2023

Education

  • The Pennsylvania State University, M.A. in Business
  • Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University, J.D.
  • Colgate University, A.B.

Bar Admissions

  • Pennsylvania

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
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