Phil enjoys problem solving and creative thinking. He specializes in plaintiff’s recovery cases, particularly in the field of antitrust, where he assists corporate claimants obtaining recoveries, which have exceeded $1 billion.  Phil is in his third decade of representing corporate clients who have suffered antitrust injury after beginning his career as a trial attorney in the Honors Program of the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.  

Another particularly rewarding area of his practice is representing clients in high profile civil rights cases, having brought cases to vindicate immigrant rights, women’s rights, voting rights, privacy rights, prisoner rights, death penalty relief, transgender rights, and marriage equality. For these efforts, he has received the Tennessee Bar Association’s Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award and the ACLU-TN Benjamin Pressnell Award.  Phil also teaches a class in civil rights litigation as an adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School.

After law school, Phil served as law clerk to the Honorable Karen LeCraft Henderson, United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.  A former Rhodes Scholar finalist, Mr. Cramer is the author of three books, including a recent book recounting journeys within both his church and the Supreme Court in the fight for marriage equality, The Fight for Marriage: Church Conflicts and Courtroom Contests. 

Phil and his spouse are the proud parents of three daughters.  When not spending time with his family or volunteering in his church and community, Phil enjoys traveling, biking, pickleball, and woodworking.

Selected Experience

• Tanco v. Haslam, consolidated with Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2584 (U.S. 2015) (marriage equality)
• In re: American Express Antitrust Litig., E.D.N.Y. (individual merchant antitrust litigation)
• In re: Payment Card Interchange Fee & Merch. Disc. Antitrust Litig., E.D.N.Y. (individual merchant antitrust litigation)
• In re: TFT-LCD (Flat Panel) Antitrust Litig., N.D. California (opt out/in merchant antitrust claim)
• In re: Packaged Seafood Products Antitrust Litig., S.D. California (representing individual direct action large purchasers)
• In re: Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litig., N.D. Illinois (representing individual direct action large purchasers)
• Opry Mills Mall Limited Partnership, et al. v. Arch Insurance Company, et al., (Tenn. Ct. App. Jan. 26, 2018) (brought in as appellate counsel and successfully reversed largest jury verdict in Tennessee)
• George v. Haslam, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85657 (M.D. Tenn. July 1, 2015) (voting rights)
• Renteria-Villegas v. Metro. Gov’t, 382 S.W.3d 318 (Tenn. 2012) (immigrant rights)
• Villegas v. Metro. Gov’t of Davidson County, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45792 (M.D. Tenn. Apr. 27, 2011) (women, prisoner, and immigrant rights)
• Affinion Benefits Group, LLC v. Econ-O-Check Corp., 784 F. Supp. 2d 855 (M.D. Tenn. 2011) (antitrust and tortious interference)

Education

• J.D. (Order of the Coif), Vanderbilt University
• B.A. (summa cum laude), the University of Richmond

Bar Admissions

• Tennessee
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
• U.S. D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

Honors

• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers 2016-2022
• Woodward/White: The Best Lawyers In America 2013-2022
• Benchmark Litigation 2015-2022
• Attorney for Justice Tennessee Supreme Court Pro Bono Service Award 2015-2021
• Nashville Business Journal Forty under 40, 2012