A native of Grosse Pointe Shores, attorney Thomas Vaughn areceived his bachelor’s in business administration from Georgetown University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law School, both in Washington, D.C.
Vaughn joined Dykema Gossett’s Corporate Finance Department, and has spent his entire career with the firm. He serves as co-head of the firm’s M&A Practice Group and leads its annual M&A Survey, heading into its 16th year.
Vaughn’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, Securities and Exchange Commission and public company compliance matters, private placements of securities, corporate governance matters and general matters. He serves as corporate secretary for a number of his public and private company clients.
He serves on the Board of the Association for Corporate Growth-Detroit, a professional association focused on middle market mergers and acquisition matters. He chairs the association’s annual M&A All Stars Awards, now in its fifth year.
Vaughn also serves on the Grosse Pointe Woods Planning Commission and before that its Senior Citizen Commission, serving his local community for nearly 35 years in these roles.
By Jo Mathis
Legal News
Favorite websites: SEC.gov. I am on that site daily.
What is your proudest moment as a lawyer? Becoming partner) at Dykema Gossett, PLLC.
What inspired you to enter the field? I have wanted to be a lawyer since grade school. I always saw it as a great way to help and serve other people.
What was Plan B? I was an accounting major, so my fall back would have been becoming a tax accountant.
What was always written on your grade school report card? An old friend recently told me that all the girls thought I was the nicest boy in my grade school class.
At what do you secretly excel? I am great at spotting movies that are going to get nominated for Academy Awards each year.
What would surprise people about your job? As a corporate lawyer, a lot of people think what I do is banker hours, 9-5. It is anything but that. It’s usually 9 to 9 and weekends. There is never a dull moment.
What has been your favorite year so far? Any year other than 2020! Social distancing is really hard for me.
Favorite stamp on your passport: France. I love Paris. My goal when I retire is to rent an apartment in Paris for a month and live like a Parisian.
When you look back into the past, what do you miss most? I am a look-forward type person. I love what I have done in the past, but I look forward to what is yet to come.
If you could have witnessed any event in history, what would it be? I think it would have been really cool to have experienced the exuberance of being in Times Square on VJ Day when people knew that WW II was really over.
What were you doing in your last selfie? A beer in hand and pig in the background, at my nephew’s barn wedding in Florida.
What failure became a positive? I was rejected by Dykema for a summer associate position, but reapplied for a permanent position in my 3L year. That decision ultimately shaped my career and life.
What is one thing you would like to learn to do? I played piano when I was a kid.. I want to relearn that skill.
What is the best advice you received? Years ago, I had a chance to move back to D.C. and take a job with the SEC. A mentor advised me to stay with Dykema. Best advice I ever received.
What purchase of $50 or less has positively affected your life? I bought of pair of hiking boots that led to a love of hiking the National Parks. It has become a passion for me and it is something that I am able to do one on one with my adult children.
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