Thomas S Hemmendinger

Tom Hemmendinger represents businesses and financial institutions in commercial finance, litigation, bankruptcy, and receivership matters. He regularly writes and teaches on these topics, and is the author of HILLMAN ON COMMERCIAL LOAN DOCUMENTATION, a leading handbook for lawyers and commercial loan officers.

Tom was noted for Excellence in Law by Rhode Island Monthly in the practice of Bankruptcy & Workout for 2023 and he continues to be recognized by Best Lawyers,  most recently in 2022 for the three practice area of Commercial Finance, Banking and Finance, and bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law. He was one of four presenters at the 2019 Rhode Island Bar Association’s Commercial Law Update. (See blog post here.)

Tom has developed an industry expertise in the international logistics and transportation sector; he understands the critical legal issues facing both service providers and customers. He regularly speaks at leading conferences across the country on securing “goods on the water” as additional collateral, plus the rights and obligations of shippers, common carriers, transportation intermediaries and buyers when goods are in transit.

As a member of the Uniform Law Commission, Tom has been active in a number of projects including: commercial real estate receiverships (committee chairperson); regulation of virtual currencies; use of electronic communications in international contracts; and independent guarantees and standby letters of credit, a joint project with the Uniform Law Conference of Canada. He is on the Board of Directors of the Preachers’ Aid Society of New England and an Honorary Trustee of United Methodist Elder Care.

See our recent Get-To-Know-Us blog post about Tom here.

Bar Admissions:

Rhode Island
Massachusetts
United States Courts of Appeals (First Circuit and Eighth Circuit)
United States District Court in Colorado
United States District Court in Connecticut
United States District Court in Massachusetts
United States District Court in Rhode Island

Speaking Engagements:

Rhode Island Bar Association – Commercial Law Developments. See blog post here. (November 2017)

American Bar Association – Business Law Section: “CISG, LC, FOB and the UCC: International Finance of Goods.” (September 2015)

Rhode Island Bar Association – Annual Meeting: “The Future Is Not What It Used to Be: E-Discovery Tips and Traps.” (June 2015)

American Bar Association  – Business Law Section: “Perfection is Not What it Used to Be: Financing Goods in Transit.” (April 2015)

Publications:

HILLMAN ON COMMERCIAL LOAN DOCUMENTATION. A leading  handbook for lawyers and commercial loan officers. Practising Law Institute Since 1994.

“Massachusetts State Law of Guaranties,” THE LAW OF GUARANTIES: A JURISDICTION-BY- JURISDICTION GUIDE TO U.S. AND CANADIAN LAW. American Bar Association, 2013.

“Rhode Island State Law of Guaranties,” THE LAW OF GUARANTIES: A JURISDICTION-BY- JURISDICTION GUIDE TO U.S. AND CANADIAN LAW. American Bar Association, 2013.

(Co-author) “Uniform Law Commission’s Study Committee on Real Estate Receiverships: Project Update and Request for Comments” American Bar Association Commercial Law Newsletter, 2012.

“Rhode Island Commercial Lending Law,” COMMERCIAL LENDING LAW: A STATE-BY-STATE GUIDE. American Bar Association, 2009.

Civic & Charitable Involvement:

Preachers’ Aid Society of New England (1996-2016)
United Methodist Elder Care

Professional Affiliations:

American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers
American Bankruptcy Institute
American Bar Association
Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys
Uniform Law Commission (National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws)

Education:

Brown University, 1981
University of North Carolina School of Law, 1984