Thomas R. Peppard, Jr.

Tom Peppard is a corporate and transactional business attorney.

He advises public and privately held companies – with a particular focus on middle-market clients – in a variety of industries, including manufacturing and distributing, information technologies, marketing, consulting, industrial services, financial and professional services, construction and material-handling, transportation and logistics, healthcare, and consumer goods.

Tom helps clients accelerate growth by counseling them on matters including formation, corporate governance, operations, mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions, contracts, commercial real estate, and financing. He regularly represents clients in connection with the purchase and sale of their businesses, corporate restructuring and reorganization, shareholder disputes, asset-based and commercial loan transactions, debt-restructuring and modification, and the purchase, sale, and leasing of their commercial facilities. Tom understands that combining legal and business strategies helps clients meet and exceed their goals, and he works hard to be a valued and trusted advisor.

Tom and his wife Kelly live in Shaker Heights with their three children.

Education: Case Western Reserve University School of Law (J.D., 2008); Miami University (B.S., 2004)

State Admissions: Ohio, 2008

Service Areas: Broker-Dealers; Commercial Finance; Corporate Governance; Hospitality; Mergers & Acquisitions; Middle Market; Nonprofit Organizations; Privacy & Data Security; Real Estate; Securities & Capital Markets; Opportunity Zones; Corporate Law; Food, Cosmetics & Dietary Supplements; Commercial Contracts

Industries Represented: Computer Systems Design; Construction; Healthcare Professionals; Nonprofit Organizations; Real Estate

Represented a leading air purification consumer product manufacturer and distributor in the sale of its business to a leading home environment products company
Represented NPK Construction Equipment, Inc. in its acquisition of Genesis Attachments, LLC from KPS Capital Partners
Represented Merieux NutriSciences in its acquisition of the Chestnut Labs division of Dairy Farmers of America
Represented a large non-profit organization in the divestiture of its childcare facilities
Represented a leading distributor of tooling and industrial products in the sale of the business to a Fortune 50 company
Represented the shareholders of a leading producer of color dispersions and additives in the sale of the business to a large private equity firm
Represented a major regional hazardous waste remediation, transportation, and disposal services provider to a leading international provider of services for moving and managing critical materials
Represented one of the largest distributors of aluminum supply products in southern Florida in connection with the strategic acquisition of a manufacturer of residential fences, gates, and components
Represented a major communication systems provider in the sale of the business to a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices
Represented Electrolux in the sale of assets comprising its Eureka® brand vacuum cleaners to China-based Midea Group
Represented a supplier of merchandising systems and its private equity parent company in the strategic acquisition of a supplemental manufacturing business based in Illinois
Represented a global clinical research organization in the sale of the business to a foreign publicly traded company
Represented a regional insurance and investment services firm in its corporate restructuring and buyout of an existing shareholder
Represented a parts manufacturer in the redemption of an existing member’s equity position
Represented a regional IT service firm in a corporate reorganization and merger with a competitor
Represented an engineering, architectural, construction management and surveying firm in the strategic acquisition of a competitor to expand the firm’s geographic reach and scope of services
Represented a foreign conglomerate and its North American holding company in the strategic acquisition of a privately held building materials manufacturer based in Michigan
Represented a leading audio and video technology solutions company in the acquisition of a top competitor in the Midwest region
Represented buyers in the acquisition of several nursing home facilities across the state of Ohio including the requisite private and institutional financing
Advised the management team of a high-profile Northeast Ohio architectural and engineering firm in the acquisition of the firm from the founder
Advised a minority shareholder group in a shareholder dispute and its corresponding acquisition of the scrap metal removal and processing business
Represented an investor in a shareholder dispute and corresponding tax-free reorganization in connection with a digital marketing and search engine optimization firm
Represented a family office in connection with its portfolio of debt and equity investments (both active and passive)
Represented a group of entrepreneurs in the formation and organization of a start-up company with a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform
Represented a large distributor of a major global manufacturer in the sale of the distributor
Represented a provider of inspection and maintenance services for industrial equipment in the sale of the business to a large international acquirer
Represented a substantial regional physician group in connection with the sale of the practice as part of a national roll-up of physician practices
Represented the shareholders of an employee benefits and insurance consulting firm in the sale of the business to a leading national employee benefits agency
Represented an employee benefits consulting firm in the strategic acquisition of a wealth-management practice
Represented a local manufacturer in the sale of the business to a national purchaser
Represented home healthcare agencies in strategic acquisitions and sales
Represented a national real estate investment and development company in the purchase and re-development of a large industrial site
Represented an assisted living provider in the refinancing of its facility through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

speaking engagements

“Rep and Warranty Insurance,” Tucker Ellis Business Law Institute (March 2024)
“Risky Business: What Tom Cruise Always Wanted to Know About Managing Risk Allocation” and “The Sweet Science of M&A Disputes,” 2023 Business Law Institute on Corporate Law and M&A, Tucker Ellis LLP (January 2023)
“Challenges and Opportunities in M&A,” 2019 In-House Counsel Summit, Tucker Ellis LLP, Cleveland, Ohio (November 2019)
“Benefits Law in Corporate Transactions,” Emerging Topics in Employment & Employee Benefits Law, Tucker Ellis LLP, Cleveland, Ohio (March 2018)
“Marijuana and Ohio Businesses: Anticipation and Confusion at an All-Time ‘High,'” 2017 In-House Counsel Summit, Tucker Ellis LLP, Cleveland, Ohio (October 2017)
“Drafting Organizational Documents to Avoid Litigation,” Business Law Conference, Ohio State Bar Association, Columbus, Ohio (May 2017)

publications

“Don’t Let a Data Breach Derail the Deal,” Crain’s Cleveland Business (January 2017)
“Purchase Price Adjustments Warrant Scrutiny,” Crain’s Cleveland Business (January 2016)

media quotes

“In-House Lawyers Find Juggling Is the ‘New Normal,'” Crain’s Cleveland Business (June 2018)

The Best Lawyers in America® (2025)
Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars® (2018)

Greater Cleveland Partnership, GCP LEAD Program (2019)
Cleveland Bridge Builders Class of 2018
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Business, Banking and Corporate Counsel Section, Chair
Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Mentoring Alumni Program
St. Ignatius High School, Alumni Executive Council
Young ACG Cleveland, Event Planning Committee
Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Time Well Spent Honor Society
Past Presidents Foundation, Trustee
Vecchio Foundation, Trustee
Lyndhurst Dads’ Club, Trustee