Former Second Department Justice Thomas Dickerson, who turned cases representing travelers whose dream vacations went awry into the field we now know as travel law, died July 26 at age 74.

“He really invented the world of consumer class actions in the travel field,” said Mark Zauderer, name partner in Ganfer Shore Leeds & Zauderer. “He was a highly respected member of the Appellate Division, Second Department, for over a decade and was personally highly regarded by his colleagues. He was always energetic, scholarly and collegial.”