Thomas F. McKee

In addition to his management responsibilities, Tom also maintains an active practice of counseling private and public corporations in general corporate and securities matters. He focuses on capital-raising activities, including public offerings and private placements, as well as mergers and acquisitions, primarily for public companies.

In connection with capital raising and investment activities, he represents both regional and national investment banking firms on activities related to corporate finance, compliance and private equity matters.

Tom also represents a number of leading private equity firms focused on the middle market and serves on the Board of a number of their portfolio companies.

Tom’s 30+ years of counseling in the securities and financial industries is a key component of the firm’s White-Collar Defense and Investigations practice – enhancing the team’s ability to protect corporations, financial institutions and their individual directors when involved in regulatory investigations.

Tom is actively engaged in community activities and currently serves as a Trustee of Case Western Reserve University (Executive Committee) and the Musical Arts Association (Cleveland Orchestra). He was a long-standing Trustee of the Achievement Centers for Children and was named Trustee Emeritus upon completion of his service as a Trustee.

Tom has served as corporate secretary and counsel to the board of directors for various publicly-traded companies, including the following:

• RPM International (NYSE)
• McDonald & Company Investments, Inc. (NYSE)
• Chart Industries, Inc. (NYSE)
• Signature Brands USA, Inc. (Nasdaq)
• NCS Healthcare Inc. (Nasdaq)
• DataTrak International, Inc. (Nasdaq)
• Camelot Music Holdings, Inc. (OTC)

He has also served as a director of Mr. Coffee, Inc. (Nasdaq) and Chart Industries, Inc. (NYSE), and he is currently a member of the board of directors of several privately-held companies and portfolio companies of private equity firms as well as an advisory director of several private equity funds.

Tom is routinely recognized for his work in Corporate/M&A - Ohio: North by Chambers USA. In 2021, Tom was recognized as a Senior Statesperson. Chambers USA researchers commented, "Thomas McKee is considered a trusted adviser to corporate clients on transactional and governance-related issues, most notably on capital markets work." A client interviewed by Chambers USA researchers in 2021 noted, "[Tom is] an excellent, well-known corporate adviser with a wealth of experience." Another client mentioned, "He has a sterling silver reputation for his experience acting for companies of all sizes."

In 2019, Chambers USA researchers reported that Tom stands out in the market for his experience in advising top-level corporate and private equity clients on capital market and M&A matters. He was described by one source as "a dean of the transactional practice."

For more than 25 years he has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^© in the areas of Corporate Law and Securities/Capital Markets Law (1995-2022). He previously received the distinction of Best Lawyers’ “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland in the area of Securities / Capital Markets Law. 

Tom was previously named a Client Service All-Star (2016, 2008) in the Securities and Capital Markets area by The BTI Consulting Group, Inc, a national strategic market research firm. The lawyers were selected by corporate counsel at a range of companies with revenues greater than $1 billion for consistently demonstrating a superior focus on their company’s needs, innovative solutions to their company’s problems, an unmatched understanding of their company’s business, and unparalleled legal skills. 

Tom has an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. 

Honors & Recognitions

• Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A, Senior Statesperson (2006-2021)
• The Best Lawyers in America^©, Corporate Law and Securities / Capital Markets Law (1995-2022)
• The Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year,” Securities and Capital Markets
• AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
• Client Service All-Star, Securities and Capital Markets, BTI Consulting Group, Inc. (2008 and 2016)

• Top 100 “Most Connected” Business Leaders in Northeast Ohio, Crain’s Cleveland Business (2015)

Education

J.D., high honors, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Order of the Coif, 1975

B.A., high distinction, University of Michigan, 1970

Professional & Community

Legal and Business

• American Bar Association’s Federal Regulation of Securities Committee and the Business Law Committee on Venture Capital and Private Equity Section, Member
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Corporate Leadership Advisory Council, Member
• Ohio State Bar Association, Securities Law Section, Member
• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Securities Law Section, Member
• American Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Society of Benchers, Member

Non-Profit Involvement

• Case Western Reserve University, Executive Committee Member, Chairman of the Compensation Committee and Trustee
• Achievement Centers for Children, Trustee
• The Musical Arts Association (Cleveland Orchestra and Blossom Music Festival), Trustee
• Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital National Leadership Council (University Hospital Health System), Trustee
• Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Visiting Committee, Member

Client Feedback

• "Calfee, Halter & Griswold has supported us in a broad spectrum of corporate matters and consistently brought a pragmatic, solid business approach together with substantive knowledge. Tom McKee continues to stand out in his wise counsel on significant matters." — Calfee client, as reported by U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® in the 2020 “Best Law Firms” rankings report