Thomas W. Hayes

Tom Hayes is a member of the firm's Corporate and Estate Planning Practices. He brings decades of experience advising high-net-worth families and privately held businesses across various industries. Tom focuses on corporate transactional matters, trust and estate planning, and serving as general counsel. He is known for his strategic counsel on succession planning, trust formation, business transactions, and resolving disputes efficiently and effectively.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Hayes worked in the tax department of a national accounting firm. His ability to craft innovative, practical solutions has been instrumental in helping clients navigate shareholder and trust disputes, often avoiding the need for litigation.

Representative Experience

• Providing long-term counsel and planning for privately held businesses, their owners and the owners' families in connection with business formation, growth, and succession or exit strategies.
• After working with a client to understand the client's goals, developing an estate and trust plan to accomplish those goals in an appropriate and tax efficient manner.
• Counseling trustees, executors, and beneficiaries in the operation of long-term trusts and post death administration matters.
• Representation of both buyers and sellers of privately held businesses.
• Assisting business owners, and trust beneficiaries in resolving contentious matters outside of formal litigation.

Professional Associations

• Member, Chicago Bar Association
• Member, Chicago Estate Planning Council
• Member, Illinois Bar Association

Education

• J.D., University of Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, Indiana, 1976
• B.A. in Accounting, magna cum laude, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1973

Bar & Court Admissions

• Illinois, 1976
• Minnesota, 1976

Practices

• Business Services
• Corporate Governance
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Privately and Closely-Held Businesses
• Estate Planning and Personal Services