The President's Page of the November 2014 issue of Orange County Lawyer magazine is devoted to thanking attorneys in the Orange County community who have served in the U.S. armed forces. The column highlights the careers of several Orange County lawyers, including U/Z founding partner Tom Umberg.
The President’s Page of the November 2014 issue of Orange County Lawyer magazine is devoted to thanking attorneys in the Orange County community who served in the U.S. armed forces.
In his column, entitled “Thanking Our Veteran Colleagues,” Orange County Bar Association President Thomas H. Beinert, Jr., notes that “Orange County’s U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter, Appellate Justice Eileen Moore, and Superior Court Judge Francisco P. Briseño are among the decorated veterans who became attorneys and now preside over our cases.”
The column also highlights the careers of several other Orange County lawyers, including Umberg/Zipser founding partner Tom Umberg:
“Tom Umberg is a business litigator at Umberg Zipser, after previously working as an Assistant United States Attorney, a two-time state assembly member, and a partner with Morrison & Foerster and then Manatt Phelps. Tom’s first career was in the military. Upon graduating from UCLA, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and then promoted to Captain. His service included stints in South Korea, with NATO forces in Europe, and as a paratrooper with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, among others duties. While still in the military, he obtained his law degree and served as a JAG, acting as a prosecutor, defense counsel, and judge. After leaving active duty, Tom remained with the U.S. Army Reserves and rose to the level of Colonel.
Tom has been recalled to military service twice. First, as part of the U.S. War Crimes Commission to prosecute a very small set of Guantanamo detainees accused of committing war crimes. Second, he spent an eleven-month tour as Chief of the Anti-Corruption force in Afghanistan, working with the Afghan army and police to stop corruption in their ranks. Tom was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan. Tom treasures his time in the military, noting there is “no tighter bond than being in the military with those you are deployed with.” The military instills “devotion to group mission and a sense of camaraderie,” characteristics that have remained important to Tom in his civilian practice.”
