Tom Carnes is a native of Denton, Texas, where he graduated from Denton High School
(1980) and the University of North Texas (BBA, 1983; MBA, 1988). Prior to embarking
on his legal studies at the University of Houston Law Center in 1989, Tom worked
first as a restaurant manager, and then in financial analysis and corporate finance,
for a large bank holding company and a defense contractor.
Tom graduated from the University of Houston Law Center in 1992, magna cum laude.
At the Law Center he was inducted into both the Order of the Barons and the Order
of the Coif, the two legal honor societies at the school. He was also an officer
in Phi Delta Phi, a legal fraternity.
For the first ten years of his career Tom worked for major law firms in Houston,
practicing complex commercial litigation. In February 2002, he left large firm practice
to form his own firm, first as a solo practitioner and subsequently in a partnership
with his friend and colleague John Ely. In late 2008, Tom determined to move his
practice to the Texas Hill Country, settling on Kerrville.
During his career, Tom has been widely recognized
as one of Houston’s preeminent lawyers in each of the areas in which he practices.
These awards include being consistently recognized by H-Texas Magazine as one of
Houston's top family lawyers, "lawyers for the people," and top lawyers
overall. He has maintained the top peer review rating of
"A-V" from
Martindale-Hubbell since he first became eligible in 2002 after ten
years of practice. He is a longstanding member of the College of the State Bar of
Texas, and numerous bar associations and charitable organizations.
In 2008, Tom moved with his wife Beverly to their farm outside of Fredericksburg,
Texas. Together they own and run Agarita
Creek Farms LP , a working farm and ranch, as well as a farm-stay tourist
destination. Tom and Beverly share their lives with Emma, Tom's daughter from
a prior marriage, as well as numerous farm animals.
Tom regularly blogs and shares photos on the trials and tribulations of his
life as a beginning farmer and rancher through his Facebook page.