Thomas Brigham

1943 - 2025

Thomas Brigham
12/16/1943 - 10/07/2025
Thomas S. Brigham, J.D.
Attorney Thomas (Tom) Brigham passed away in Ukiah, California on October 7, 2025, at the age of 81. Tom was born in San Mateo, California on December 16, 1943, to William and Elizabeth Brigham who predeceased him. He is survived by his wife, Carrie Brigham, his daughter Brooke Brigham and granddaughter Layla Island, his daughter Tess Brigham, son-in-law Steve Pogatch and grandson Max Pogatch, and his siblings William Brigham, Kathleen Brigham and James Brigham.
Tom spent his childhood in San Mateo at a time when the San Francisco suburbs were growing quickly and he was among students who were the first to attend the new Junior and Senior High Schools in the Hillsdale area. He excelled in sports, most particularly golf. He represented Hillsdale High School, College of San Mateo and Fresno State College where he was awarded a golf scholarship. Among numerous other victories Tom was the California Community College Men's Golf State Champion in 1962. In 1963, he set a new course record at Peninsula Golf and Country Club in San Mateo with a score of 64. Golf played an important role throughout Tom's life as he played many courses throughout the state and the country.
Tom graduated from Fresno State College in 1966 with a B.A. in Social Science. He went on to graduate from the George Washington University School of Law in Washington D.C. in 1969 where he was admitted to The Order of the Coif in recognition of his academic achievements. In 1970 he was admitted to the California State Bar after which he spent almost two years with a large San Francisco law firm.
In 1971 Tom moved his family to Ukiah to take the position of Director of The Legal Services Foundation for Mendocino and Lake Counties. He served in that position for a short time, but his impact was significant. He routinely challenged attempts by the county to curtail free speech and protest against the Vietnam War and fought to protect the constitutional rights of the county's residents during a time of great tension in the country. Tom believed deeply in justice for all and kept his tattered copy of the Constitution from law school in his desk.
After Legal Services, Tom opened a private practice in Ukiah. A few years later he joined the Ukiah law firm Rawles, Golden, Hinkle & Finnegan. After several years the firm evolved to become Rawles, Hinkle, Carter, Brigham, Gaustad and Behnke. Tom left the firm to partner with Scott Gaustad as Brigham & Gaustad. When that partnership ended, Tom was on his own again, but not for long. Brooke joined him in the practice in 2004 and they worked together for the next 20 years until Tom's retirement in 2024, after 54 years of practicing law.
Tom was an accomplished civil litigator and trial attorney. In the courtroom his usual reserved demeanor switched to a zealous advocate for his clients. He took on the most difficult of cases, he loved the challenge. Tom loved the law, he loved golf, and he loved his family.