Thomas Chorey

Tom Chorey is a founding shareholder of the firm and chairs the firm's transactional and business section. Tom received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1972. Previously, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Virginia in Aerospace Engineering. He also obtained a Masters in Taxation from Emory University while he was practicing full time. Tom was listed one of Georgia's top attorneys in Business/Corporate in Georgia Super Lawyers (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008), published by the Journal of Law and Politics, and Atlanta Magazine. He was named by Georgia Trend Magazine to its roster of Georgia's Legal Elite for 2007. Tom has been rated 'AV' by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, its highest rating, for many years. Tom started practicing in 1973 at Troutman, Sanders, Lockerman and Ashmore. In 1979, he joined with John Taylor, and, shortly thereafter, Otto Feil, to form the firm that is now Chorey, Taylor & Feil. Tom's practice and driving goals revolve around facilitating the growth and success of his clients' businesses. With over 30 years of experience, he knows how to make business transactions come together for clients. Tom often starts representing clients by assisting in the structuring and formation of their business, helping them choose the proper business entity to maximize liability protections and tax-efficiency. As clients become more established and successful, he assists in their day-to-day transactional planning, such as raising capital through debt placement or the sale of securities, structuring and documenting executive employment and restrictive covenant arrangements (including tax-driven incentive compensation plans), and negotiating and documenting commercial contracts. He also assists with mergers and acquisitions and structuring and implementing exit and succession plans. With his Masters in Taxation and a strong focus on tax planning, Tom adds value not only in structuring commercial transactions to minimize tax burdens, but also through a thorough and well-grounded understanding of individual wealth management and estate planning. This approach serves clients well in multiple transaction, business, and personal planning contexts. Some examples of Tom's engagements include the following: * Representation of a well known carpet manufacturer in its tax-free merger into a NYSE company. * Representation of a multi-state telecommunications and commercial graphics company in a leveraged ESOP acquisition of the majority shareholder's stock. * Representation of a 50% shareholder in the acquisition of the remaining equity in one of Atlanta's largest office furniture retailers. * Representation of a nationwide distributor of paint products in connection with a multi-million dollar equity and debt infusion by a public European corporation. * Representation of a management buyout group in connection with the acquisition and financing of a premier Atlanta mixed office and commercial use real estate development. * Representation of the President of a NYSE company in the negotiation, tax-structuring and execution of an Executive Employment Agreement containing equity participation, bonus and restrictive covenant arrangements. * Representation of one of Atlanta's largest physician practice groups in its merger into the controlled affiliate of a NYSE company. * Representation of the President of a private equity fund company in the negotiation, tax-structuring and execution of an Executive Employment Agreement and Stock Option Agreement. * 20 years of service as outside general counsel of a large Tennessee nonprofit healthcare corporation in governance, contract, regulatory, tax and finance matters. * 20 years of service as outside general counsel of a nationwide franchisor of buying services in franchising, governance, contract, regulatory, tax and finance matters. Tom has been active in the Atlanta business and legal community for many years, participating and serving in the Atlanta Forum for Law Office Economics and Management (Chair, 1982-1983), Atlanta Tax Forum, Atlanta Estate Planning Council, Atlanta Venture Forum, International Association for Financial Planning and Buckhead Business Association (Director, 1992-2000), and Leadership Atlanta.