Thomas R. Spera
Counsel
Tom Spera is counsel in Ropes & Gray’s tax department, based in Boston. He serves as a trusted tax advisor to middle-market and larger private equity firms and other clients on transactions across a wide range of industries, including technology, financial services, retail and healthcare. Clients value his practical and strategic approach to helping them navigate and negotiate complex tax and structuring issues arising in their transactions.
In his practice, Tom advises on the U.S. federal income tax aspects of domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, including leveraged buyouts, financing transactions, joint ventures and restructurings. He regularly advises clients on private equity and strategic M&A transactions and the tax structuring and planning issues that arise in such transactions. Tom’s experience also encompasses securities offerings, special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), and private equity and venture capital fund formations and investments.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he played a valuable role in counseling clients on the tax implications of legislation passed in response to the crisis. Tom provides pro bono advice at the firm’s debt clinic at Rosie’s Place, a Boston-based women’s shelter, and has also provided pro bono advice to nonprofit organizations on tax-exempt issues.
Experience
- Represented American Industrial Partners in its $1.2 billion acquisition of the Arrium Group's Mining Consumables Division (Moly-Cop), an Australia-based producer of forges steel grinding media used in the processing of copper, gold and other minerals.
- Represented Bain Capital in its acquisition of TI Automotive, a leading provider of fluid storage, carrying, and delivery systems to automotive manufacturers.
- Represented TPG on its acquisition from Actavis plc of Actavis’ Aptalis Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) business, a leading pharmaceutical research and development and manufacturing company.
- Represented The TJX Companies Inc., the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the United States and worldwide, in its acquisition of Trade Secret, an off-price retailer with 35 stores in Australia.
- Represented Berkshire Partners in its equity investment in Implus Corporation, a provider of various brands of footwear, fitness, and recreational accessories.
- Represented Altamont Capital Partners in its sale of Cascade Windows, a leading manufacturer of windows and patio doors.
- Represented Emcor Group in its $205 million acquisition of Ardent Services and Rabalais Constructors.
- Represented Audax Group in an acquisition and disposition of two portfolio companies.
- Represented Hutchison China MediTech (Chi-Med), a China-based health care group and one of the largest biotech companies in Asia, in its $101 million U.S. IPO and listing on NASDAQ.
- Represented The Michaels Companies, Inc., a portfolio company of Bain Capital and The Blackstone Group, in two secondary offerings.
- Represented Bain Capital Credit in connection with various CLO matters.
Education
- LLM (Taxation), New York University School of Law, 2011
- JD, Northeastern University School of Law, 2010; senior staff member, Northeastern University Law Journal
- BA (Political Science), Tufts University, 2006
Admissions / Qualifications
Qualifications
- Massachusetts, 2010