Tom Elke

Tom Elke is a landlord-tenant lawyer who focuses his practice at Elke & Merchant LLP on tenant law and renters’ rights in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has counseled thousands of residents facing problems with landlords, housing conditions, rent disputes, and eviction threats. His work centers on helping tenants understand their rights, respond to legal pressure, and seek fair results through practical guidance, negotiation, and litigation. He brings trial experience to tenant cases and has personally tried more than twenty-five jury trials to verdict.

Mr. Elke earned his B.A. from Harvard University and his J.D. from UCLA School of Law. During law school, he took part in the El Centro legal aid program, where he served people who needed access to legal support. He also received the Imelda Rosenthal Bar Scholarship for Public Interest Law from the California State Bar. This education and public interest training helped shape his focus on housing rights and client-centered legal service.

Mr. Elke has built a career representing tenants in difficult disputes with landlords. His work has included eviction defense, Rent Board petitions, wrongful eviction claims, harassment matters, and habitability cases. He has helped clients secure millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. His approach combines careful case review, clear communication, and strong courtroom preparation. He has also shared his knowledge as an adjunct professor of paralegal studies at San Francisco State University and as a guest lecturer on landlord-tenant law at the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Tom Elke has received several professional honors for his work. Super Lawyers Magazine recognized him as a Northern California Rising Star. The San Francisco Bar Association honored him as an Outstanding Volunteer Attorney more than once. He has also been named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by The National Trial Lawyers and a Top 40 Litigation Lawyer Under 40 by The American Society of Legal Advocates. His record reflects a steady commitment to protecting tenants and helping renters pursue safer, fairer housing outcomes.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Elke & Merchant LLP
• Member, San Francisco Bar Association
• Member, American Society of Legal Advocates
• Member, National Trial Lawyers
• Member, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Member, California State Bar

Licensed State

• California

Education

• UCLA School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Harvard University
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges