Benca, Patrick James

Tom joined Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick in February 2012 for the opportunity to use his wealth of skill and experience in the area of appellate litigation to represent our nation’s veterans and their families in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Tom is a fellow in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and a member of the ABA’s Council of Appellate Lawyers, who has also been recognized annually by The Best Lawyers in America and New England Super Lawyers, in the area of appellate litigation since 2008 and 2009 respectively.  After graduating from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1982, Tom served as a Captain and Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force for five years before entering private practice.  For the next 25 years he practiced appellate litigation handling a variety civil litigation matters, appearing before the Rhode Island Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit approximately 70-75 times.  He has provided pro bono representation for a number of non- profit corporations over the years, primarily on constitutional matters, having received Public Service awards from Common Cause Rhode Island on two occasions, and he has written several articles that have been published in law reviews and bar journals.

Since 1996, Tom and his wife Alana, a linguist, have been the proud “parents” of 12 different special needs golden retrievers of various ages and disabilities who have kept them very busy and entertained. Since 2010, they have been on a journey as mentors and a “visiting resource” for Christina, a teen-aged girl in state care. The ‘goldens’ like to watch sports with him but, alas, Christina does not.