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, Client
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, Client
Articles by Tom and his team
Corporate and commercial law
Data protection – are you compliant?
Data protection legislation in the UK was overhauled in 2018, with enhanced obligations being placed on businesses to protect personal data.
Read more on Data protection – are you compliant?
Corporate and commercial law
How the death of a shareholder affects business succession planning
The death of a shareholder in a private limited company has the potential to disrupt the running of the business, to create uncertainty and to raise concerns for the remaining shareholders and directors.
Read more on How the death of a shareholder affects business succession planning
Agriculture
Farm Business Structures Part 5: How do I sell my farming business?
Tom Potts, from our Corporate team discusses key aspects of agricultural business structuring in a series of articles, in this article he looks at how to sell a farming business
Read more on Farm Business Structures Part 5: How do I sell my farming business?
Agriculture
Farm Business Structures Part 4: Do I need a shareholders’ agreement for my farming business?
Tom Potts, from our Corporate team discusses key aspects of agricultural business structuring in a series of articles, in this article he looks at how to incorporate a farming partnership.
Read more on Farm Business Structures Part 4: Do I need a shareholders’ agreement for my farming business?