When out of court, Tom Duffy puts feet up. Way up.
(Philadelphia, PA) As founder and managing partner of the law firm of Duffy + Partners, Tom Duffy stays pretty busy. He is the lead litigator on each and every trial handled by the firm. He has secured verdicts and settlements for the firm’s clients well into the hundreds of millions of dollars over the past 22 years. And he has helped many catastrophically injured people and their families obtain the means to pay for medical care and other expenses after tragic accidents through his trial work and through countless charitable donations. So when someone with so much on their plate has a day off, you would think someone like Tom Duffy wants to disappear from radar. Hardly.
As an accomplished pilot and collector of military planes (or “warbirds” as they are often called) Tom Duffy finds that the best way to clear his head is get some fresh air several thousand feet off the ground. “It is not about escape or leaving things behind,” says Duffy. “I get so much out of flying. I enjoy the precision of the work, the beauty of the scenery, and the independence. It is a very rewarding and humbling experience, being able to fly these amazing machines that played an important part in world history.”
And while Duffy gets great enjoyment from his hobby, he is generous with sharing that joy with other aircraft aficionados across the country. He is a major benefactor and coordinator of events held throughout the year at the Millville Airport and Museum in Millville, New Jersey, he donated a plane to the Naval Air Station Museum in Cape May County, New Jersey, and he participates in a myriad of events as a civilian pilot.
“Tom Duffy is a valued board member of the Millville Army Air Field Museum at Millville Airport where he has made countless contributions to the community,” says Lisa Jester, the museum’s executive director. “Through Tom’s commendable generosity in sharing his rare warbird collection at our air shows and events, tens of thousands of people are able to see the technology of these classic aircraft and be better educated about their important role in history and in preserving our freedom as Americans.”
In 2009, Duffy kicked off the Indianapolis 500, flying over the speedway while the National Anthem was played before a thrilled crowd of spectators. Last month, Duffy participated in a re-created flyover at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio of the “Doolittle Raid,” which commemorated a 1942 top secret mission of 80 men over Japan during World War II. And in August, Duffy will participate in the massively popular Atlantic City Airshow with his treasured B-25 Mitchell Bomber “Take Off Time.”