Thomas J. Addesa

Thomas J. Addesa began his legal career in 1985 as an Assistant Prosecutor for the City of Columbus, Ohio. In that that role he conducted nearly 100 jury trials. In 1990 he was appointed Assistant City Attorney in the Civil Litigation Section for the Columbus City Attorney’s Office. Mr. Addesa joined the present law firm of Artz, Dewhirst & Wheeler, LLP in 1998 with a primary focus in litigating Family Law including co-parenting. Tom also assists individuals seeking to have children through the surrogacy process, and provides representation for Carriers who have agreed to be part of that process. In 2005, Tom obtained a specialty certification in family law and has maintained his credentials as an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Family Relations Law Specialist. Due to his extensive criminal and traffic experience, he continues to provide representation for clients charged with criminal and traffic offenses. He also provides mediation services to individuals with a variety of legal issues, including divorce and family law issues, who seek to resolve disputes outside of the court system. Tom’s 34 years of litigation experience allow him to zealously advocate and protect his clients’ rights, and his lengthy experience as a mediator allows him to assist parties in resolving their disputes without resorting to the litigation process. Tom is an Adjunct Professor at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. Tom was a trainer for the Ohio Governor’s Commission on Dispute Resolution 1988, and he has an active practice mediating divorce and child custody matters for parents seeking to avoid contracted litigation. He also provides representation to parents/spouses who choose the Collaborative Divorce process. Awards and Honors Super Lawyers® Selectees Thomas J. Addesa included in a Super Lawyers® list Other Sources of Feedback About Thomas J. Addesa Included on the 2026Ohio Super Lawyers list

• Attorney at Law
• Ohio Surrogacy Attorney

• Capital University Law School, Adjunct Professor
• Columbus City Attorney's Office, Civil Litigation Section, Assistant City Attorney, 1991 - 1998
• City of Columbus, Ohio, Assistant Prosecutor, 1985 - 1991
• Languages
• English

• Asst. Prof. - Divorce and Family Mediation, Capital Univ. Law School, 2010 - Present
• Gay Divorce in Ohio, Columbus Bar Assoc., 2013 - Present
• Divorce and Family Mediation, Columbus Bar Association, 2011
• Gestational Surrogacy in Ohio, Columbus Bar Association, 2008
• Capital University Law School, Mediation Clinic, 2006

• Interfaith Legal Clinic, 2008 - Present
• Various Individual Pro Bono Cases, 1998 - Present

• Ohio, 1985
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1990
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio, 1989
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1991
• Specialties and Certifications
• Family Relations Law Specialist, Ohio State Bar Association, 2005

• Ohio State Bar Association
• Columbus Bar Association
• Prior Board Member of the City of Columbus, Charitable Solicitations Board
• Member of Columbus Bar Association’s Judicial Screening Committee