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Thomas J. Bogar
Thomas J. Bogar AREAS OF PRACTICE Thomas J. Bogar concentrates his practice in business and corporate law, taxation, wills, trusts & estates, elder law, and real estate transactions. A seasoned attorney with almost 18 years experience, Mr. Bogar has returned to private practice after almost five years on active duty military service with the U.S. Army. Before his recall to active military duty following September 11th, Tom practiced law with a large firm in Montgomery County and also as Trust Counsel for Wilmington Trust Company where he was lead counsel for complex, multi-million dollar estates and tax transactions, some worth as much as $500,000,000. Mr. Bogar is often sought to speak as an estate planning expert. In addition to having appeared on local television and being quoted as an estate planning expert in magazines of national stature, Mr. Bogar has lectured and written articles for various publications and professional publications on issues concerning estate planning, estate administration, elder law, and corporations. He authored “Pennsylvania Elder Law,” and “Delaware Offers Convenient Asset Protection,” and he has co-authored “The Probate Process from Start to Finish in Pennsylvania,” “Choice of Business Entity in New Jersey,” and “Choice of Business Entity in Pennsylvania, How to do it Right.” Tom is licensed to practice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court; the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania; the New Jersey Supreme Court; the U.S. District Court of New Jersey; and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He is also a Veterans Affairs accredited attorney for the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for veteran’s benefits before the Department of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Bogar is Highly Rated by Martindale Hubbell. An active member of his community, Tom has served as director and counsel for several charities and community organizations, including the Abington Zoning Hearing Board, the Briar Bush Nature Center, the Helping Hand Foundation, and the Abington Presbyterian Church. Since 9/11, Mr. Bogar has spent almost five years on military duty as an Army Judge Advocate where he most recently worked in the Pentagon for the Secretary of Defense as Associate Deputy General Counsel for International Affairs. At the Pentagon, he focused on legal issues pertaining to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Before this assignment, Mr. Bogar served for two years in the Office of Military Commissions. In this capacity, Mr. Bogar appeared on both the front pages and the opinion pages of the Philadelphia Inquirer, traveled extensively around the world, with stops in Guantanamo Bay, Pakistan, and Afghanistan where he met with Ambassadors, foreign ministers, and former Presidents. In doing so, Tom garnered international attention where he was featured in Der Spiegel magazine. In 2007, Mr. Bogar presented his lecture, “Guantanamo - Still a legal black hole?” at the Wisconsin Bar Annual Convention. His law review article, relevant to the current Guantanamo Bay debate, titled "Unlawful Combatant or Innocent Civilian? A Call to Change the Current Means for Determining Status of Prisoners in the Global War on Terror," appears in the April 2009 edition of the Florida Journal of International Law. During his active military service, Tom served as a Judge Advocate with the 10th Mountain Division, and as a trial defense attorney for the 3rd Infantry Division. He remains an Army Reservist where he is a Lieutenant Colonel and is currently detailed as an international law expert with the Army Office of the Judge Advocate General. Prior to his legal career, Tom served on active duty during the Cold War with the U.S. Navy submarine fleet as a Lieutenant, Radiation Health Officer, first in Guam and later at the TRIDENT Refit Facility in Silverdale, Washington. Born and raised in New Jersey, Tom currently lives in Abington, Pa., with his wife, Dr. Linda Bogar, and his newborn son. A former Eagle Scout, Tom’s interests include United States history, fitness, baseball, gardening, and spending as much quality time with his family after almost 5 years on active military duty. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS EDUCATION Villanova University School of Law Seattle University School of Law Dickinson College U.S. Army Command and General Staff College U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps School Naval Undersea Medical Institute
Business and Corporate Law; Taxation; Wills, Trusts & Estates; Elder Law; Real Estate Transactions.
Montgomery County Bar Association, Montgomery County Estate Planning Council, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Federalist Society
George Washington University School of Law
Washington, D.C.
LL.M., International and Comparative Law (with Highest Honors) 2008
Villanova, PA
LL.M., Taxation 1993
Tacoma, WA
Juris Doctor 1992
Carlisle, PA
Bachelor of Science, Physics 1985
Ft. Leavenworth, KS
2002
Charlottesville, VA
1996
Groton, CT
1986
