Washington, DC
New York – One Vanderbilt Avenue
Represents teams, owners, and investors across major US and international professional sports leagues on ownership transfers, capital raising, and M&A
Advises US and foreign-based public and private companies on M&A, joint ventures, strategic investments, and spin-offs
Handles public and private securities offerings, including IPOs
Counsels corporate boards, board committees, and executives on disclosure, SEC reporting, corporate governance, and executive compensation
Thomas (Tom) P. Conaghan is co-head of the media, entertainment & sports practice, co-head of the Capital Markets and Public Companies Practice Group, and partner-in-charge of the Corporate Group in the Washington, DC, office.
As the lead of the firm’s award-winning sports practice, Tom represents teams, owners, and investors across all major US professional sports leagues, as well as international and emerging leagues, on a broad range of matters, including ownership transfers, capital raising transactions, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). He frequently represents clients in high-profile deals across the industry, helping drive the continued growth of McDermott’s sports practice, which was named “Practice Group of the Year” by Law360 in 2025 and ranked among the leading sports law practices in the United States by Chambers USA and Legal 500 in 2026.
Recommended for Private Equity
IFLR1000
Recognized as Legal Impact Report Honoree
Variety Magazine
Ranked in Corporate/M&A and Private Equity
Chambers USA
Sports and Entertainment
- Represented multiple participants, including Mark Stevens and Sheryl Sokoloff, in the ownership group formed by the Khosla family to acquire the Seattle Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl Champions, in a $9.612 billion transaction, the new record for an NFL franchise
- Represented Monumental Sports & Entertainment, led by founder and chairman Ted Leonsis, and owner of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and the NBA’s Washington Wizards, in a strategic investment transaction with Arctos Partners
- Represented Aditya Mittal and the trustees of the Mittal family trusts as significant investors in the buying group led by William Chisholm to acquire the NBA’s Boston Celtics
- Represented an investor in the acquisition of the Northern California franchise of Major League Volleyball
- Legal 500 US, Recommended, 2012-2019, 2023-2025
- IFLR1000, Private Equity, 2022-2023
- Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A, Private Equity, 2019
- Variety Magazine, Legal Impact Report Honoree, 2025
- M&A Advisor, Consumer M&A Deal of the Year, for representation of Dogfish Head Brewery in its $300 million merger with the Boston Beer Company, 2019
- M&A Advisor, Consumer M&A Deal of the Year, for representation of Fila Korea and Mirae Asset Private Equity in the $1.225 billion acquisition of Acushnet Company (Titleist Golf) from Fortune Brands, Inc. (2011)
- Greater Washington, DC Board of Trade, Legal Task Force for the Greater Washington Smart Region Movement, member
- Capital Lacrosse Club, president
- Notre Dame Law School, JD, cum laude
- University of Notre Dame, BA
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- English
- French
