I’m a responsive and seasoned attorney with five decades of knowledge that I apply to my clients’ issues. I know what can happen in almost any situation and how people get themselves in trouble. Therefore I also understand the strategic calculus required to help get them out of trouble, and, better yet, prevent problems from arising in the first place. Because I’ve virtually seen it all and handled it all, I prefer to use a calm, cordial, supportive, and rational approach, which my clients seem to appreciate.
Bringing a global outlook to his practice and with many years of experience in advising on large and small business deals, Tom Davis represents national and international clients in their transactional, corporate, and intellectual property matters. Tom draws on his in-depth knowledge of technology transfer to counsel software and technology companies, placing a special emphasis on licensing, franchising, distribution, and sales agreements in areas including medical technology, defense, and other various service sectors. He also advises early-stage companies.
Tom excels at reading and analyzing commercial contracts and licenses and explaining to his clients what they mean and what potential pitfalls they contain. He sees these reviews as exercises in imagination to predict how a poorly worded section or an omitted sentence can increase risk and cause problems down the road. Tom finds it gratifying to spot these perils for his clients and suggest how they can best be fixed.
In running a practice with a decidedly international bent, Tom has cultivated an uncanny ability to educate clients from countries such as Japan, England, and Denmark on both the big-picture perspectives and nuanced details of American law, business, and culture. He also provides clients operating in other countries in-depth and accurate assessments of the U.S. political scene and its salient current events and issues, which adds value to the client service he delivers. Tom enjoys helping companies enter the U.S. market and establish their organizations here while avoiding mistakes such as ignoring non-discriminatory practices or failing to pay taxes. He has been active in two international legal networks and served as chair of one of them.
Earlier in his career, Tom worked as the senior in-house tax lawyer at a Fortune 500 corporation, which enhances his ability to counsel clients on complex cross-border transactions from an in-house perspective. He also previously served as managing partner at a large New York firm and sat on Carter Ledyard’s Executive Committee for 12 years.
Tom handles all matters with an eye toward maximizing efficiency and respecting the bottom line and cost concerns. He always strives to have clients focus on their primary objectives and then works to achieve outcomes that best fit these frameworks.