Overview
Tom Conaghan is co-head of the Firm’s Capital Markets Group and partner-in-charge of the Corporate Group in the Washington, DC, office. He also leads the Firm’s sports law practice.
Tom represents public and private companies, underwriters and other sources of capital, corporate boards and board committees, and corporate executives. He advises US- and foreign-based public companies on issues relating to mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, strategic investments, spin-offs, public and private offerings of securities (including initial public offerings (IPOs)), disclosure, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting, corporate governance, executive compensation, and the stock exchange-listed company rules.
Tom is rated in Chambers USA and The Legal 500 for his M&A work, and is cited for being a “strong M&A lawyer who anticipates clients’ needs, exhibits strong management over deals, and translates his breadth of knowledge in a way that clients can easily understand and use.” Tom has led several M&A transactions for beverage clients in conjunction with the Firm’s Chambers USA top-rated beverage practice. He also represents clients in the sports & entertainment industries in connection with strategic investments and M&A.
Tom leads the firm’s efforts on large-scale global corporate reorganizations and spin-offs. His experience includes advising Tyco International (NYSE: TYC) in connection with its spin-offs of Covidien, TE Connectivity and The ADT Corporation.
Results
Capital Markets
- Represented AirSculpt Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRS), a national provider of body contouring procedures under the brand, Elite Body Sculpture, and AirSculpt’s majority stockholder Vesey Street Capital Partners, in the $90 million IPO of AirSculpt Technologies
- Represented Travis Boersma, founder of Dutch Bros. Coffee (NYSE: BROS), a drive-through coffee chain, in its $550 million IPO
- Represented Akumin (NASDAQ: AKU), a national leader in comprehensive outpatient radiology and oncology solutions, in its initial NASDAQ listing and subsequent redomestication from Ontario to Delaware
Sports and Entertainment
- Represented Monumental Sports & Entertainment, led by founder and chairman Ted Leonsis, and owner of the Washington Capitals NHL Hockey team and the Washington Wizards NBA basketball team in strategic investment transactions with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Jeff Skoll, the founder of eBay
- Represented an investor in the Arctos-led consortium to acquire a minority stake in the NFL’s Buffalo Bills from the controlling owner in the first-ever investment by a PE firm in the NFL
- Represented an investor in the Josh Harris-led consortium in their record-breaking US $6.05 billion acquisition of the NFL’s Washington Commanders
- Represented global sports apparel and footwear company, Fila, and leading Korean private equity firm, Mirae Asset, in the $1.225 billion acquisition of Acushnet Company, the leading golf equipment company (Titleist and Footjoy) from Fortune Brands (NYSE: FO)
- Represented the Washington Capitals in connection with its acquisition of CapFriendly
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Represented AdTheorent (NASDAQ: ADTH), a machine learning pioneer delivering measurable value for programmatic advertisers, in its $325 million sale to Cadent, LLC, a leading provider of platform-based converged TV advertising solutions
- Represented OCR Investment in its acquisition of a 50% stake in Ocean Casino Resort, a hotel, casino and resort in Atlantic City, from Luxor Capital
- Represented entrepreneur Eugene Kashper in the acquisition of Pabst Brewing Company, maker of iconic American beer brands
- Represented Dogfish Head Brewing Company in its $300 million merger with The Boston Beer Company (NYSE: SAM)
- Represented The ADT Corporation (NYSE: ADT) in the acquisition of Devcon Security from Golden Gate Capital for $148.5 million
- Represented Duvel Moortgat N.V., Belgium’s second-largest brewing company, in its acquisition of Boulevard Brewing Company, a Kansas City-based craft beer company and its acquisition of Firestone-Walker Brewing Company, a Paso Robles-based craft beer company
Recognitions
- Legal 500 US, Recommended, 2012-2019, 2023-2024
- IFLR1000, Private Equity, 2022-2023
- Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A & Private Equity, 2019
- Variety Magazine, Legal Impact Report Honoree, 2025
- M&A Advisor, Consumer M&A Deal of the Year, for representation of Dogfish Head Brewery in its $300 million merger with the Boston Beer Company, 2019
- M&A Advisor, Consumer M&A Deal of the Year, for representation of Fila Korea and Mirae Asset Private Equity in the $1.225 billion acquisition of Acushnet Company (Titleist Golf) from Fortune Brands, Inc. (2011)
Community
- Greater Washington, DC Board of Trade, Legal Task Force for the Greater Washington Smart Region Movement
- Capital Lacrosse Club, president
Credentials
Education
University of Notre Dame Law School, JD, cum laude, 1995
University of Notre Dame, BA, 1992
Admissions
District of Columbia
Maryland
Languages
English
French
