professionalIMG

Thomas R. Burton III

Member
617.348.3097
vCard
Boston


Education

  • Boston College (JD, 1996)
  • Boston College (BA, 1993)

Bar Admissions

  • Massachusetts

Tom’s practice focuses on complex corporate finance matters including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, private equity, and securities transactions. He represents high-growth and emerging businesses, including companies in the energy and clean technology, social media and software industries, as well as life science companies, from start-ups to public companies.

In 2004, Tom founded, and currently chairs, the firm’s Energy & Clean Technology Practice, which serves more than 250 clients. Since 2006, the firm’s Energy & Clean Technology Practice has completed more than 300 transactions in this sector totaling over $7 billion. In 2013 the firm was listed among the “Top 10 Clean Technology Firms" by Euromoney’s LMG Cleantech & Renewable Energy. The Energy & Clean Technology Practice has been ranked #2 nationally among top Clean Technology law firms, according to Watershed Capital Group, and the practice was listed as a “Best Law Firm” by U.S. News & World Report, both in Boston and nationally.

On the corporate and securities side, Tom has served as counsel in the structuring and completion of over 200 venture capital and private equity financings, representing both the funds providing the capital and the emerging growth companies seeking funding. His work in this area has raised billions of dollars. He also organizes venture capital funds and represents them in their portfolio investments.

Tom routinely counsels businesses on their growth and development, advises their boards of directors on corporate governance matters, and participates in an array of transactions, from private and public offerings to merger and acquisitions, joint ventures, and technology transfer matters. Tom also has experience in advising investment banks in private placements and underwritten public offerings of equity securities, and in their role as financial advisor in mergers and acquisitions.

He applies his background in corporate finance to counsel energy and clean technology companies through all stages of formation, financing, and exits. His energy and clean technology clients span markets such as solar and wind, smart grid and energy efficiency, energy storage, water technologies, waste treatment, biofuels, electric vehicles, and green buildings.

Tom’s dual focus in corporate financing and energy and clean technology extends internationally. He has served as counsel to GreatPoint Energy in a complex joint venture with China-based company Wanxiang Holdings and has advised Fortune 500 global company with respect to the multibillion-dollar international outsourcing of its information technology functions, the recapitalization of a public company, and the complex merger of three biotechnology companies into a fourth public biotechnology company.

Representative Matters

  • GreatPoint Energy’s financing and joint venture with China-based Wanxiang Holdings ($1.25 billion); selected as Greentech Media’s Deal of the Year in 2012
  • NanoSteel Series C Convertible Preferred Stock Financing and Licensing Agreement with GM Ventures ($12 million)
  • EnerNOC, Inc., IPO and follow-on offerings ($97 million, $108 million, and $97 million, respectively)
  • Various equity and debt financings for Aspen Aerogels, Inc.
  • FloDesign Wind Turbine Corp., Series B financing ($34.5 million)
  • Televent GIT, S.A., follow-on offering ($66 million and $115 million, respectively), representing Canaccord Adams
  • CoalTek, Inc., Series C financing ($33 million)
  • Greatpoint Energy’s pilot facility at Brayton Point, Somerset, Massachusetts
  • EnerNOC, Inc., acquisition of Celerity Energy Partners
  • Financing of Wind Power Holdings LLC, led by Rockport Capital Partners ($56 million)
  • Structuring of MTC-SEED financing program to develop clean energy cluster
  • Formation of New England Energy Innovation Collaborative (now the New England Clean Energy Council)
  • Collaboration and co-development between Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Abbott Laboratories (over $300 million)
  • Series B and Series C financings of Mascoma, Inc., led by General Catalyst Partners ($30 million) and Marathon Oil ($50 million)
  • Sale of Hypnion, Inc. to Eli Lilly and Company ($315 Million)
  • Represented Lehman Brothers in Siemens Medical Solutions’ acquisition of Diagnostics Products Corp. ($1.8 billion)

Recognitions & Awards

  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers: Securities & Corporate Finance (2004, 2010 – 2012)
  • Euromoney’s LMG Cleantech & Renewable Energy: Top 100 Lawyers in CleanTech (2013)
  • Euromoney’s LMG Cleantech & Renewable Energy: Top 10 Clean Technology and Renewables Law Firm
  • Watershed Capital Group: #2 US Clean Technology law firm
  • World Technology Award Finalist: Law (2010) (The World Technology Network awards are released in association with Time, Fortune, Technology Review, CNN, and Science)
  • Boston Business Journal: 40 Under 40 (2009)
  • Susan Grant Desmaris Award, Boston College Law School
  • Order of the Coif

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Judge, MIT Clean Energy Prize; Grand Prize (2012) and Energy Efficiency and Infrastructure Finals (2011)
  • Judge, Cleantech Open Northeast Regional Finals (10.3.2012)
  • Presenter, Department of Energy Clean Energy Business Plan Competition (06.2012)
  • Judge, Cleantech Open National Finals (2010, 2011)
  • Judge, MassChallenge Business Plan Competition (2010)
  • Board overseer, New England Aquarium
  • Board of trustees member, Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism
  • Advisory committee member, UMass Lowell Center for Sustainable Production Cleantech Project: An Agenda for a Healthy Economy
  • Member, Commonwealth Workforce Development Board, Life Sciences Task Force