About Me
Tom Farrell has lived in New York his whole adult life. While trying to establish himself in another career, Tom supported himself as a proofreader, then a paralegal, and then, while working full-time with a Manhattan law firm, went to law school. He graduated from Saint John’s in 1995. Early in his career, Tom practiced Corporate and Securities law, including serving as General Counsel to two NASDAQ-listed companies owned and operated by the same person. Afterwards, Tom’s practice included regulatory compliance, licensing, HR policies, and a broad and deep range of contract negotiation and drafting. More recently, he was General Counsel to a niche recycler in Eastern Long Island. With the closing of that business, Tom has decided to bring his skills and experience closer to home, establishing a solo practice that’s targeted to small- and mid-sized businesses.
Throughout his career, Tom has also done pro bono work, both for his church and for various small not-for-profits; he currently sits on the Board of Directors of two not-for-profit educational organizations, for one of which he was Chairman of the Audit and Finance Committees for three years.
Tom has been married for over thirty years and has three daughters.
"My object is to bring sophisticated legal services to small- and medium-sized business owners at a reasonable rate. Certain kinds of documents that are used repeatedly I will prepare for a flat fee. I can put protections in place to or limit or even eliminate liability from the almost-inevitable lawsuit."
"I want to become your long-term, go-to lawyer, getting to know your business so I can not only address your current legal issues, but anticipate and plan for the coming ones."
What Can I Do For You?
- Protect your personal assets and your company's confidential information
- Limit your liability if... (click here for more)
Experience
Chief Attorney TMF Law Offices P.C., Since 2005
- With the consent of my full-time employer, I continued to represent a handful of private clients I had developed from 2005 to 2008. For these clients I negotiated a broad spectrum of contracts, including asset purchases, commercial leases, and franchise agreements. In addition, I formed and organized corporations and LLCs and advised small business owners on a variety of regulatory compliance matters and employment/labor issues.
- My General Counsel position ended with the company's bankruptcy, and I returned to my private practice.
General Counsel and Director of Human Resources Hi-Temp Specialty Metals, Inc, Aug 2008 – Jul 2016
- Directed company’s legal affairs including negotiating with independent contractors, and writing vendor contracts, indemnification agreements, and employment agreements.
- Updated the Employee Handbook, ensuring current laws and company policies are reflected.
- Standardized several regularly-used contracts.
- Implemented IP protection procedures including confidentiality agreements.
- Developed and presented Anti-Harassment Training for Supervisors and safety-training programs for production workers, to increase employee compliance.
- Analyzed the terms and conditions of agreements and contracts, including financing documents, and negotiated revisions to ensure favorable outcomes for the organization.
- Conducted a three-months-long due diligence investigation for a possible acquisition.
- Managed regulatory matters including OSHA compliance, Department of Labor compliance, State and Federal labor laws.
- Created and delivered orientation sessions for new hires, including I-9 compliance, safety overview, and discussion of the Employee Handbook & HR policies.
Education
- St. John's University School of Law, Juris Doctor (JD) - 1995
- St. John's University, Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Literature - 1993
Description of Practice
Thomas M. Farrell has a business law practice, representing organizations of various sizes and sophistication, ranging from small and family-owned enterprises to medium-sized, well-established businesses. My mission is to bring sophisticated legal services to these entrepreneurs at an affordable rate, protecting both the owners’ personal assets and the business’s assets.
For start-up ventures and locally oriented businesses, I provide advice on both immediate concerns and on long-term planning. The formation of and maintenance of legal structures for doing business -- corporations, limited liability companies and other entities -- are matters I handle regularly. In addition, government filings, licenses, and individually crafted shareholder or member agreements will also come into focus. My careful analysis of real estate leases, franchise documents, and other complex legal documents will contribute to the long-term growth of the enterprise by highlighting long-term obligations and enabling appropriate planning.
To further contribute to my clients’ growth, I will structure or negotiate financing arrangements, ranging from traditional-source loans to the use of equity and debt securities; explore and explain venture capital financings; and give advice regarding stock and asset acquisitions (sometimes involving mergers). I am well-versed in assisting management with reports to State and Federal regulatory agencies; my experience enables me to anticipate regulatory issues peculiar to each client, and assist in designing and implementing compliance programs.
For clients of all sizes, I will draw upon my 20-plus years of experience to negotiate and draft a broad array of agreements, including sale or purchase of a business, non-competition agreements, contracts between suppliers and customers, and intellectual property licenses. Issues affecting employee training, executive compensation, employment contracts, manufacturing, and franchising opportunities are also regular parts of my practice. Critical internal matters such as protection of Confidential Information will be addressed proactively, turning potential trouble spots into support for the bottom line.
As small clients grow and established clients’ needs become more complicated, I will suggest ways to implement effective corporate governance programs. These programs will be tailored (as only a solo practitioner can) to meet each individual client’s needs, addressing policy issues ranging from discrimination, privacy, and Internet-related matters, to sexual harassment and other issues. Governance advice can also relate to good “corporate citizenship” for those companies interested in participating in or contributing to community life; in this respect, my clients will benefit from my considerable experience with not-for-profit corporations.
Documents & Transactions
- Starting a Business: Corporations, LLCs & Other Entities
- Contracts
- Regulatory Matters: Dept. of Labor, EEOC, OSHA, I-9, etc.
- Financing
- Protection of Confidential Information
- Employment Agreements & Restrictive Covenants
- Franchise Agreements and Registration Statements
- Purchase or Sale of a Business: Stock or Asset Acquisitions, Mergers, etc.
- Corporate Governance & Corporate Housekeeping