Thomas O’Brien, J.D., M.B.A, practices law in the fields of disability and insurance law. Thomas is the President of The Law Firm of O’Brien & Feiler, which assists the disabled throughout the State of Georgia. Thomas and his legal team assist the disabled as they seek Social Security Disability and SSI benefits. O’Brien & Feiler also represents the interests of medical providers with securing insurance payments from Medicaid or liability insurers.
Thomas represents the disabled before the Social Security Administration and in Federal Court at every level of application and appeal. The team is also often employed to secure retroactive Medicaid coverage for the disabled.
Thomas is a Social Security Disability/SSI expert who regularly teaches attorneys, medical administrative teams, and physicians about Social Security Disability/SSI, Medicaid Eligibility, and Liability Claim Resolution. He is regularly called upon by other legal specialists such as Personal Injury Attorneys, Workers Compensation Attorneys, and Estate Planners to assess the impact of their efforts on a Claimant’s ability to claim benefits. Thomas’s website provides an ever growing set of tools and resources for disability applicants and their counsel, and his work has been featured multiple times on Fox-5 Atlanta (First Feature, Second Feature), Stars and Stripes, and he is AV Rated by Martindale, 10/10 rated by Avvo, was a Superlawyers Rising Star before aging out, and in 2020 was named a Superlawyer.
Education
University of Notre Dame – BBA in Finance and Business Economics, 1996
Fairleigh Dickinson University – MBA in Finance, 1999
Georgia State University College of Law – Juris Doctor, 2004
Bar Admissions
State Bar of Georgia
Georgia Court of Appeals
U.S. Court of Appeals – 11th Circuit
U.S. District Court – Northern District of Georgia
U.S. District Court – Middle District of Georgia
Accredited Attorney – Veterans Administration
Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
Alabama State Bar (Admitted 2020)
Practice Areas
Social Security Disability / SSI Applications and Appeals
Liability Claim Resolution
Medicaid Eligibility
Professional Associations
State Bar of Georgia
Alabama State Bar
Georgia Association of Healthcare Attorneys
Georgia Hospital Association
National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives
Honors and Awards
2020-2021, Superlawyer
2019-Present, LawInfo Lead Counsel Verified
2014-Present, Avvo 10/10 Top Attorney
2015-Present, AV Preeminent Rated Attorney, Martindale
2014, Superlawyers Rising Star
1999, Inductee, National Honor Society, Financial Management Association International
1999, Inductee, International Honor Society in Economics, Omicron Delta Epsilon
See Thomas’ Avvo, Facebook, and Google reviews.
Selected Presentations / Publications
For regular updates, current events, and opinions, please visit the O’Brien & Feiler Blog.
Georgia Healthcare Financial Management Association, 2021 – Surprise Medical Billing Regulations Change Georgia Billing Practices. This is an article highlighting recent changes to Georgia law that medical billing professionals will want to address.
Gwinnett Pro Bono Project / Atlanta Legal Aid, 2020 – Social Security Disability / SSI: Application, Cessation, and Re-evaluation. This is an hourlong CLE presentation regarding the rules and procedures a practitioner might face when representing a person whose disability claim is being reviewed by the SSA.
Gwinnett Pro Bono Project / Atlanta Legal Aid, 2017 – As the population ages and disability awareness rises, social security touches our cases every day. How does someone qualify? What is the process? How are SSI, SSDI & SSRI different? How do things like alimony, child support, or working affect them? Join Social Security Attorney Thomas O’Brien for a no-experience needed intro. 1 hr CLE credit., Speaker, Introduction to Social Security Cases.
Georgia HFMA Scroll, Georgia HFMA, 2010 – An exploration of state and federal programs currently in place to assist individuals without insurance or the means to privately insure., Author, Insuring Georgia’s Uninsured Population with the Tools Available Today.
GSASC – Spring Gazette, Georgia Ambulatory Service Centers, 2008 – An Introduction to the Georgia Provider Lien Law, Author, An Introduction to the Georgia Provider Lien Law.
Georgia HFMA Summer Scroll, Georgia HFMA, 2007 – This is Part 1 of a 2 Part series that discusses the increasingly complex efforts of insurers to manage their exposure to changes in hospital charge masters. What used to be a fairly anonymous line item in a compensation schedule is now two or three pages of protective language that covers everything from allowable increases to adjustment formulas and take-back provisions. While creating adequate explanations of a complex contractual issue is laudable,many of the techniques and provisions contained in such language are mathematically misunderstood and can be slanted in favor of the insurer. With most managed care contracts containing multiple items that are paid as a percentage of billed charges (stop-loss,implants, outpatient default are some common entries), it is now more important than ever that hospitals understand the impact of such language, as well as the perspective from which managed care companies are approaching this important issue., Author, Negotiating Charge Master Protective Language with Managed Care Companies.
GSASC Spring Gazette, Georgia Ambulatory Service Centers, 2007 – An exploration of Institutional Sources of Payment for Out-of-Network and Self-Pay Patients, Author, Institutional Sources of Payment for Out-of-Network and Self-Pay Patients.
Service to the Community
2018-Present – Vice-Chair, City of Dunwoody Planning Commission
2018-2020 – President, Dunwoody North Civic Association
2016-Present – City of Dunwoody Planning Commission
2015 – City of Dunwoody Comprehensive 5-Year Plan Update Sounding Board
2015 – Health Advisory Council – MS Society of Georgia