Home office: Taunton
Tom advises at all stages of the business cycle, including company incorporations and reorganisations, shareholders’ agreements, acquisitions and disposals and fund-raisings.
Tom is a Partner in the Corporate team with experience of advising businesses at all stages of growth on acquisitions, disposals, investments, shareholders’ agreements and restructures.
Tom joined Clarke Willmott in 2018 after working as senior in-house counsel at one of the UK’s largest equity crowdfunding companies. Whilst there, he played a leading role in developing their legal process and completing their largest and most complex transactions.
Tom graduated from the University of Cambridge before training and working at national law firms.
How Tom can help you
- acquisition and disposal of companies and businesses (domestic and cross-border)
- management buy outs / buy ins
- debt and equity investments
- crowdfunding
- reorganisations
- demergers
- corporate joint ventures
- partnership agreements
- shareholders’ agreements
- articles of association
Experience
- Advised a leading equity crowdfunding platform on over 220 investment rounds, raising more than £110 million.
- Advised a major global bank on its financing of several corporate acquisitions
- Advised on the acquisition by Ocean Fish / Vistgate Group of a majority stake in W. Stevenson & Sons. The deal has been shortlisted in the ‘Small deal of the Year’ category of the Insider’s South West Dealmakers Awards 2020
- Implemented a multi-stage reorganisation of a £45m-turnover Somerset-based group of companies
- Advised on a management buy out of Synertec Limited, a leading document management company headquartered in Somerset.
- Advised a number of buyers and sellers in the hotel sector.
- Advised a local technology start-up on a seed investment.
- Advised on the £22 million sale of a group of companies in Europe, North America and Asia.
Recommendations
Tom Potts and the team played a crucial part in an effective group effort which resulted in the sale of my company. It was a complicated transaction involving an overseas purchaser. However my Clarke Willmott team never lost the thread and managed, with great patience, to bring all parties to a satisfactory conclusion. They are to be congratulated for their diligence and understanding. And for the reasonableness of their fees considering the amount of time and complexity of the work required to get this deal over the line.
Tom A, February 2019
I am very happy with the service provided by Tom and the Clarke Willmott team. I received good advice in a clear, concise and constructive manner. A professional, compassionate team who have been fantastic from start to finish. I am very pleased with the outcome and highly recommend Clarke Willmott.
D. Hake. August 2021
Articles by Tom and his team
Information technology
What is live facial recognition technology and can we use it?
Read about use of live facial recognition technology and steps businesses should take to ensure that their use of this technology is lawful.
Read more on What is live facial recognition technology and can we use it?
Corporate and commercial law
Employee ownership trusts
This article describes what an employee ownership trust (EOT) is, the benefits of EOTs and what business owners need to consider.
Read more on Employee ownership trusts
Corporate and commercial law
What are drag-along and tag-along rights?
This article explains what drag-along and tag-along rights are, and what needs to be considered when negotiating them in a sale.
Read more on What are drag-along and tag-along rights?
Services for business
Clarke Willmott improves care home’s draft rating
A care home with an overall rating of good received a draft inspection report with an overall rating of inadequate. We successfully challenged the proposed new rating leading to a higher rating in the published report.
Read more on Clarke Willmott improves care home’s draft rating