Thomas P. Gulley was born in Champaign, Illinois and grew up in Benton, Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in finance with honors from the University of Illinois in 1969. He was drafted into the United States Army at the end of his first year of law school. Gulley served at Cam Ranh Bay in South Vietnam as a sergeant in the Finance Corps. On his honorable discharge from the Army, Mr. Gulley re-enrolled in law school at the University of Illinois and graduated in 1974. Mr. Gulley was inducted into the University of Illinois Law School chapter of the Order of Coif, nationwide honorary academic society limited to the law school graduates with exceptional academic achievement.
Gulley began his law career as a partner with Hart, Hart & Gulley, PC, a three lawyer firm in his hometown of Benton, Illinois. His practice involved principally litigation and business counseling, but he also practiced in a wide variety of other areas as is typical of small town southern Illinois lawyers. Gulley’s practice included serving as counsel for two of the largest banks in that area on lending and litigation matters, city attorney and park district attorney. He tried numerous cases before judges and juries in a several county area. He served as the president of the Franklin County Bar Association from 1979-1980.
Gulley then was appointed Assistant General Counsel of Credithrift Financial, Inc., a financial services holding company headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, which owned banks, consumer loan offices, a Visa credit card and a commercial lending subsidiary. Gulley’s practice at Credithrift was focused on commercial lending, business acquisitions and mergers, and credit card legal matters. He also served as the company’s principal employment lawyer with responsibility to advise senior management on all legal grievances raised by employees. Gulley’s practice also included supervision of outside counsel in litigation in the states where Credithrift did business, as well as advising the company on lending and insurance regulatory matters.
When the opportunity arose to move to Albuquerque in 1986, Gulley began his legal career in New Mexico with Civerolo, Hansen and Wolf. He has worked at two of New Mexico’s largest law firms.
Gulley joined Bannerman & Johnson in March of 2010. His practice continues to focus on complex commercial and tort litigation while continuing to advise clients on business and regulatory issues, commercial transactions, insurance and employment law.
Gulley served on the New Mexico Supreme Court Committee on Professional Responsibility for five years, including service as vice-chair in 2007. He also was chair of the Commercial Litigation Section of the State Bar of New Mexico for three years and a member of the board of directors of the Association of Commerce and Industry of New Mexico, a state wide organization advocating for a strong business environment, including service as chair of its Legal Reform Committee for four years. He received the Exemplary Service award from the association in 2005 for his service.
Gulley is a member of the American Bar Association, the New Mexico State Bar, the Illinois State Bar (inactive), and the Indiana State Bar (inactive). Mr. Gulley is rated AV/Preeminent Attorney by Martindale Hubbell and is listed in Chambers USA as one of the leading commercial litigators in New Mexico.
