Thomas A. Manakides is a partner in the Orange County office of Gibson Dunn where he practices in the firm's Transnational Litigation, Environmental Litigation & Mass Tort, and Litigation Practice Groups.

Mr. Manakides is counsel for multinational corporations in complex, multi-district and international litigation. Mr. Manakides' practice emphasizes transnational litigation and foreign judgment law, environmental and mass tort litigation, and a variety of commercial litigation matters. A list of representative matters is provided below.

Mr. Manakides received his law degree in 2003 from the University of Southern California Law School, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. At USC, he was the Submission Editor for the Southern California Law Review. In 2000, he graduated magna cum laude from Pepperdine University earning his B.A. degree in Political Science.

Mr. Manakides is on the Board of Directors for the Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center, which serves at-risk children and families in crisis to prevent and break the generational cycle of child abuse. Mr. Manakides is also on the Board of Directors for the Public Law Center, Orange County’s non-profit pro bono law firm that provides access to justice for low-income residents
Representative matters include:
From 2008 to present, represent Dole Food Company, Inc. against multi-district mass tort litigation pending in state and federal district courts filed by thousands of foreign plaintiffs residing in Central America and Asia. Mr. Manakides provides advice and strategy on the global and day-to-day management of this litigation. Most recently, he worked at the pleading stage to obtain a dismissal with prejudice on limitations grounds of nearly 3,000 plaintiffs from the Philippines who filed claims in California state court. And he successfully obtained summary judgment in the client’s favor on limitations grounds in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. In addition, Mr. Manakides has devoted substantial time working with the Gibson Dunn team to unearth a massive attorney-orchestrated fraud emanating from Nicaragua that was imported into California courts. This work culminated in a dismissal with prejudice of several California cases consolidated as Mejia v. Dole Food following a bench trial exposing the egregious fraud. Mr. Manakides successfully defended, on appeal, a ruling in Tellez v. Dole Food vacating a jury verdict and the entry of a new judgment in Dole Food’s favor based on the post-trial discovery of fraud on the court and extortion of defendants.
From 2013 to present, represent Dole Food Company, Inc., Barclay Hollander Corporation and Oceanic Properties, Inc., in cases brought by approximately 1,850 property owners and other individuals alleging property damages and personal injuries based on negligence, nuisance, and strict liability claims, among others, due to the development of homes on allegedly contaminated property. Shell Oil Company, another defendant in the case, had previously owned the property and used it as an oil storage site prior to the development of the land into a residential community.
Significantly involved in representing Lockheed Martin in a large-scale and complex toxic tort action brought by 800 plaintiffs in California state court. The trial court dismissed the claims of all of the first-tier plaintiffs in September 2008, and the California Court of Appeal affirmed.
Successfully defended Racal Instruments, Inc. against nuisance claims based on TCE and PCE groundwater and soil contamination at the property. After targeted and limited discovery, the trial court granted summary judgment for Racal Instruments and awarded allowable defense costs.
Successfully defended Athens Services, a major waste collection and recycling company, against negligence and nuisance claims arising from the alleged hauling of hazardous waste to the Cal Compact Landfill in Carson, California. The trial court granted summary judgment for Athens Services finding, among other things, that there was no triable issue of fact on successor liability. This decision was affirmed on appeal. Athens Services recovered costs.
Representation of Athens Services in an administrative enforcement action before the South Coast Air Quality Management District that threatened to shut down Athens Services’ recycling facility based on alleged nuisance violations. After over 25 hearings and substantial briefing, the action was settled favorably.
Representation of Athens Services in a mass tort and nuisance action filed on behalf of 87 plaintiffs alleging a myriad of personal injuries and property damages. Mr. Manakides prevailed in completely eliminating the permanent nuisance property damage claims based on the pleadings. The action was settled favorably for Athens Services shortly thereafter.
Defended Mission Hospital against claims from a tenant seeking to enjoin construction of a new multi-million dollar medical tower in South Orange County, and filed counter-claims for breaches of lease. Following discovery and mediation, a favorable settlement was reached.
Pro bono representation of the Council for Endangered Species Act Reliability (“CESAR”) to compel the United States to act on a listing petition for the delta smelt under the Endangered Species Act. The government acted on CESAR’s petition along with paying a significant portion of attorney fees.
Successful prosecution of an action on behalf of an individual pro-bono client who alleged claims for peonage and involuntary servitude, fraud and deceit, false imprisonment and the violation of numerous California Labor Code sections. After the court denied defendants’ motion to dismiss, the action was settled favorably for the client.
While at Gibson Dunn, participated in the Trial Attorney Partnership Program (TAPP) in conjunction with the Orange County District Attorney's Office, gaining valuable trial experience.

Mr. Manakides is admitted to practice in the State of California and before the United States District Courts for the Central District of California, Eastern District of California, and Southern District of California.