Practice Areas 

Tom practices in all areas of maritime law, including marine contracts, collisions, marine casualties, cargo, charter party, oil pollution, arrest and attachment. He also practices personal injury defense, commercial litigation, first party insurance litigation, and license defense. 

Experience 

Tom graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He sailed as a Deck Officer aboard American flag oceangoing break-bulk, container, and tank vessels. Following his seagoing career, he joined the maritime defense firm of Glynn & Dempsey in 1974 specializing in all types of marine casualties. He also represented U.S licensed merchant officers in U.S Coast Guard and NTSB proceedings. In 1984, Tom opened Clinton & Muzyka, P.C as a maritime defense firm serving clients internationally and specifically in the New England area. His practice deals extensively with insurance coverage disputes, collisions, groundings, allusions, sinkings, oil spills, personal injury, property damage, limitation of liability, charter party disputes, and third-party business interruption claims. In addition to these primary areas of practice, Tom has considerable experience in maritime commercial paper, U.S licensed merchant officers in U.S Coast Guard and NTSB proceedings, marine contracts, cargo claims, general average, workers’ compensation claims, and first party insurance litigation. Tom has lectured on Maritime and International law at the U.S Naval War College. He has also lectured on seaman and passenger claims, vessel surveyor liability, and maritime workers’ compensation at seminars for ship’s officers, attorneys, surveyors, and claims managers sponsored by vessel owners, American and Massachusetts Bar Associations, National Business Institute, Inc., Boston Mariner’s Club, and National Association of Marine Surveyors.

Bar Admissions 

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts 

Other Court Admissions 

• United States Supreme Court 

• United States Court of Appeals First and Fourth Circuits 

• United States District Court District of Massachusetts 

Education 

• Suffolk University Law School, J.D., 1975 

• United States Merchant Marine Academy, B.S., magna cum laude, 1972

Professional Associations and Memberships 

• Massachusetts Bar Association 

• Maritime Law Association of the United States, Director and Proctor 

• Association of Average Adjusters of the United States 

• Propeller Club of the United States