Overview
Tom joined Calfee in 1975, was elected Partner in 1982, elected to the firm’s Executive Committee in 1992, and elected to Vice Chairman in 1999. Tom served on the firm’s Management Committee since its formation in 1999. He was elected Co-Chairman in 2005, Chairman in 2008, and Senior Chairman in 2019.
As a member of the firm’s Corporate and Finance Group, Tom was actively engaged in serving many of Calfee’s long-standing clients, advising on client Board matters, governance issues, capital market/M&A transactions, and private equity matters. While too numerous to name all the clients that Tom has served, the list includes many of the most recognized public companies in Northeast Ohio, private equity firms, banks and other financial institutions.
Over the years, Tom helped set the direction for the firm’s strategic growth and served as a model to other attorneys – as a prolific client developer, legal industry leader, and community supporter.
Tom was recognized annually as a top corporate attorney by Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America. In 2015, Tom was named one of the “Top 100 Most Connected Business Leaders in Northeast Ohio” by Crain’s Cleveland Business.
He served the following legal organizations:
- American Bar Association’s Federal Regulation of Securities Committee and the Business Law Committee on Venture Capital and Private Equity Section.
- 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
In addition, Tom served the following community nonprofit and educational organizations:
- 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
The firm is pleased to announce that the Calfee Conference Center, located on the Mezzanine level of The Calfee Building in Cleveland, has been renamed the "Thomas McKee Conference Center" in honor of Tom’s significant contributions and loyal service to the firm over the past 47 years.