Tom Ricks is a founding Member of Alexander Ricks PLLC. His practice includes a broad range of business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate, corporate finance, joint ventures, venture capital, commercial lending and mezzanine investment.
Tom has represented entrepreneurs, closely-held businesses, public companies, private equity funds, borrowers and lenders in a wide array of industries, including industrial services, manufacturing and distribution, textiles, business services, health care, professional services (including architecture, accounting, engineering, and veterinarian), financial services and asset management, restaurant and retail, nonprofits, sports organizations and craft breweries.
He relies on his experience in mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate and tax to represent investors and developers in joint ventures throughout the country, and advises clients on related tax issues including 1031 exchanges and qualified opportunity funds invested in opportunity zones.
Tom frequently acts as outside general counsel to businesses, providing advice to clients on various issues such as non-compete agreements, real estate leases, drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, shareholder disputes, fiduciary duties of directors and drafting or responding to demand letters.
Education
- Wake Forest University (B.S., 1996)
- Wake Forest School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2002)
Admissions
Honors and Awards
Business North Carolina “Legal Elite” (Business) (2016).
Tom was born in Wilson, North Carolina and first moved to Charlotte in 1996. For high school, he attended the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and was a walk-on member of the Wake Forest University basketball team in 1992-93. He enjoys spending time at Lake James, coaching his sons’ basketball teams, offshore fishing, water skiing, and has run seven marathons. Tom is married and has two sons.
Mergers and Acquisitions
- $19,000,000 acquisition of bottling company.
- $3,000,000 acquisition of sign manufacturer.
- $32,000,000 sale of manufacturing and distribution business to a public company.
- $3,000,000 spin-off of confectioner manufacturer and distributor.
- $5,000,000 sale of retail furniture stores.
- $6,000,000 acquisition by a metal fabrication business of manufacturing facilities from a public company.
- $3,000,000 acquisition by a bioplastics company of a division from a public company.
- $40,000,000 sale of CLO manager to public company.
- $1,800,000 acquisition of an industrial services business in Norfolk, Virginia.
- $11,000,000 sale of textile business to a private equity backed strategic buyer.
- $10,000,000 sale of stock of a machine tool machinery manufacturer and dealer to a Chinese investor.
- $10,000,000 sale of a plant nursery to a private equity backed strategic buyer.
- $6,000,000 sale of specialty retailer.
- Represented a national architecture firm in the acquisition of architecture and engineering firms in Charlotte and Charleston, SC.
- Represented the seller of a live event production services business to a strategic buyer.
- Represented a German investor in the acquisition of a food and drug regulatory advisory business.
- Represented the purchaser of an animal hospital.
Commercial Real Estate
- $12,000,000 purchase of office building in Charlotte, NC.
- $3,500,000 sale of 150-acre farms in Union County and Anson County, North Carolina.
- $25,000,000 sale of 560-unit apartment complex in Orlando, Florida.
- The sale of general partnership interests in a 179-unit affordable housing apartment complex in Clearwater, Florida.
- The sale of general partnership interests in a 414-unit affordable housing apartment complex in Suitland, Maryland.
- $18,000,000 sale of 155-unit apartment complex in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
- $15,000,000 sale of 312-unit apartment complex in North Port, Florida.
- $18,000,000 sale of 296-unit apartment complex in Orlando, Florida.
- Purchase of a manufacturing facilities, industrial facilities, raw land, office buildings, medical office buildings throughout the southeast United States.
- Construction loans secured by real estate.
Corporate Finance and Commercial Lending
- Borrower’s counsel:
- $12,000,000 working capital line of credit secured by inventory and receivables.
- $22,000,000 line of credit and term loan secured by real estate, equipment, inventory and receivables.
- $5,000,000 line of credit and term loan secured by equipment, inventory and receivables.
- $5,000,000 line of credit and term loan secured by equipment, inventory and receivables.
- $1,000,000 construction loan secured by real estate.
- $1,750,000 SBA 7(a) loan to fund the acquisition of a business.
- Lender’s counsel to banks and private lenders:
- $30,000,000 bridge loan to real estate developer
- $12,000,000 construction loan for office building
- $3,000,000 refinance and construction loan to commercial marina
- $6,000,000 acquisition loan for commercial office building secured by air rights.
- $7,000,000 construction loan to church.
- $9,000,000 term and revolving line of credit loan to church.
- $6,200,000 construction and term loans to children’s center.
Securities
- $6,500,000 Series A equity raise by a bioplastics manufacturer in a Rule 506 Regulation D exempt offering.
- $3,500,000 equity raise by startup payment processing and financial services company.
- $1,000,000 of equity to fund the acquisition of distressed real estate developments.
- $1,350,000 of preferred securities issued by a craft brewery in a Rule 506 Regulation D exempt offering.
- $15,000,000 of equity and debt issued by a maritime services business to private investment funds.
- $20,000,000 of equity and debt issued by a manufacturing and distribution business to private investment funds.
- $3,500,000 equity raise by speculative pharmaceutical company.
