Profile
Tom counsels CEOs, executive teams and Boards of Directors on all strategic communications matters, with a particular focus on special situations such as transactions, activist investors, crises, management changes and governance matters.
In line with the firm’s tradition of long-lasting client relationships, Tom has advised leading global public and private companies through a number of critical situations including; CBS Corp., Comcast, GCM Grosvenor, Hershey’s, JAB Holdings, Keurig Dr Pepper, T-Mobile, TPG, Sanofi, Starwood Capital Group and Truist. He also has a particular expertise in M&A and activist defense situations, having advised companies on a wide variety of complex and high-profile transactions and activist situations over the past several years.
As a recognized leader in communications, he is frequently asked to speak at events and has been a guest speaker at the Tulane Corporate Law Institute, the Garrett Corporate and Securities Law Institute, the Equilar Board Leadership Forum and 13D Monitor’s Activism conference, among others.
He serves as Vice Chairman of Board for the Volunteers of America’s Greater New York Chapter. Prior to Abernathy, Tom was editor-in-charge of Investment Banking and Finance for Reuters, where he also ran the M&A and IPO desks. Earlier, he worked at CNN Financial News and at The Daily Record newspaper in Baltimore. Tom received his BA from Towson University.