Thomas B.

Shepherd III

Position: Partner
Office: Jackson

Tommy Shepherd is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He advises businesses, Native American tribes, and financial institutions on a wide range of commercial and transactional matters.

Tommy represents a broad spectrum of clients in all types of commercial and regulated matters. He has extensive experience in acquisitions, public-private leases, financings, land-use approvals, statutory and regulatory interpretation and compliance, operations, and administrative hearings.

An accomplished gaming attorney, Tommy advises some of the world’s largest gaming operators and suppliers, and he is a regular contributor to the firm’s Gulf States Gaming Law Blog, available at www.gulfstatesgaminglaw.com. He also served as an adjunct professor to the University of New Hampshire School of Law’s online program for a Certificate in Sports Wagering and Integrity.

Tommy is co-chair of the firm’s Gaming Industry Team. In this capacity, and in his own practice, he advises major private equity and investment banking firms and large commercial lenders involved in secured and unsecured lending. He also counsels clients with regard to debt offerings and bond offerings in connection with the development of various projects.

An acknowledged thought leader, Tommy serves frequently on panels and speaks on a range of business, legal, ethics, and regulatory issues at national and international conferences.

Noteworthy

Experience

Represented the city of Danville, Virginia in negotiating and drafting a casino development agreement with a major casino company
Represented the city of Richmond, Virginia in negotiating and drafting a casino development agreement
Represented numerous sports wagering operators and suppliers in licensing and regulatory matters before the Mississippi Gaming Commission, the Virginia Lottery, and the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council
Acted as special counsel to the private equity purchasers in the largest acquisition in the history of the gaming industry
Acted as purchaser’s counsel to a Native American tribe in connection with the acquisition of a casino hotel in Louisiana
Acted as purchaser’s counsel to a Native American tribe in connection with the acquisition of two hotels and related operations in the Caribbean
Acted as purchaser’s counsel to a Native American tribal entity in a multimillion-dollar acquisition and proposed development of real estate in Mississippi
Served as counsel to the purchaser in a $280 million acquisition in Mississippi
Served as counsel to the lenders in a $175 million loan to a greenfield development in Mississippi
Served as multi-state counsel in a $1.2 billion acquisition of a manufacturer and related financing
Acted as special finance counsel to an international manufacturer in the billion-dollar acquisition of a Class II gaming manufacturer
Served as general counsel to a $40 million greenfield development project in Natchez, Mississippi
Served as special counsel to the private equity purchaser of a manufacturing company
Served as special counsel to the lenders in a $100 million loan for the redevelopment of a project in Mississippi
Served as special counsel to the lenders in a $500 million loan in connection with existing indebtedness refinancing and an acquisition in Mississippi
Served as Mississippi counsel to a publicly traded company in connection with a $5 billion sale and leaseback transaction with a public REIT