Tom Dean has been a criminal defense attorney for over 30 years. During that time, he has handled many cases, from murder to disturbing the peace, armed robbery to shoplifting, health care fraud to identity theft, and everything in between. He has won many felony jury trials and has argued successfully on multiple occasions before the Arizona Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. His first appeal was in 1997, winning a case upholding the right to a jury trial in DUI cases. More recently, he won a case before the Arizona Supreme Court that struck down a law as unconstitutional that allowed the legislature to tamper with voter passed ballot initiatives.
Tom has also long fought for cannabis policy reform. In 1998, Tom became the Legal Director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in Washington, DC. As Legal Director, he initiated and managed important marijuana related cases of national importance to the cannabis community. These cases included stopping a White House managed program to pay television networks to include anti-marijuana content in television programs. He also prevented a marijuana eating fungus, engineered with federal funding at the University of Montana, from being released over the Florida Everglades. Another favorite was his win before the Guam Supreme Court, establishing the right of Rastafarians to possess and consume marijuana on the island. In that capacity, he also coordinated the efforts of the NORML Amicus Committee (former chair) in key cases throughout the U.S. In 2015 the organization recognized his successful advocacy by inducting him into the NORML Distinguished Counsel’s Circle.
Tom moved back to Phoenix in 2008 and established his current criminal defense and administrative practice. Although Tom continues to provide representation in a broad spectrum of criminal defense matters, he has maintained a special focus on representing persons in cannabis related cases. There are far too many important marijuana cases that he won over the years of state-wide importance to list here. In 2016, Tom received the President’s Commendation award from the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice (AACJ) for his work in cannabis related criminal defense. In 2020, Tom received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Errl Cup, a medical marijuana event producer which includes Arizona’s premier cannabis awards festival (30,000 attendees this year). In 2021, Tom received Mikel Weiser Lifetime Achievement Award from Arizona’s Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA). In 2023, Tom was honored by NORML with its Al Horn Award, which is awarded each year to in “in recognition of a lifetime of ceaseless work to advance the cause of justice and for their extraordinary support for NORML.” Most recently, in 2024, Tom was qualified by the Superior Court as an expert on the current state of hemp law, including hemp derived cannabinoids.
Tom is also active in other important cannabis organizations on both a local and National level. Of note, he was a founding member of the Arizona Cannabis Bar Association (ACBA), an organization that seeks to educate lawyers and the public about the many unique aspects of cannabis law and emerging cannabis related areas of practice. He continues to serve on the ACBA board and as its current President. In 2024, Tom formed a new firm with two other phoenix attorneys, Julie Gunnigle and Jon Udell, called Full Spectrum Law Collective. FSLC represents clients in a broad array of cannabis of practice areas. Outside of his practice, Tom enjoys, among other things, trout fishing, hiking, and presenting at marijuana and hemp related seminars and conferences for lawyers and the public.
Awards
- Honored by NORML with its Al Horn Award in 2023
- Received the Mikel Weiser Lifetime Achievement Award from Arizona’s Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA) in 2021
- Received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Errl Cup in 2020
- Received the President’s Commendation Award from the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice (AACJ) in 2016
