Hourglass Legal Male • United States of America

Hourglass Legal Consulting, a leading corporate law firm, specializes in providing comprehensive legal services with a strong focus on mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The firm caters to a varied clientele, including small and middle-market companies, venture capital clients, and private equity-backed firms across diverse industries, including business services, manufacturing, financial services, and for-profit education.

Strategically located in Highland Park, Illinois, Hourglass Legal Consulting was established in 2013 by Tom Wippman, the firm's president. With a robust 40 years of experience in the M&A sector, he brings a wealth of knowledge in operations, finance, and law, ensuring the best outcomes for his clients and fostering a reputation of trust, confidence, and capability.

Hourglass Legal is adept in business formation, mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, equity financings, and general commercial issues. It also provides routine corporate counsel on corporate governance, contract negotiations, executive compensation, and labor and employment issues, supporting clients’ everyday business needs.

The firm's mission is to aid entrepreneurs, emerging growth companies, and investors achieve their business goals by delivering high-quality, practical legal and strategic advice. Under his leadership, Tom and the Hourglass Legal team develop close professional relationships with their clients, guiding them through each phase of their business ventures to prepare for and manage high-value negotiations and transactions.

Tom has served as internal and external General Counsel for various entities, including private equity firms, independent sponsors, start-ups, and large corporations. He notably held the Managing Director and General Counsel role at Sterling Partners, a private equity firm managing assets over $5 billion. His primary responsibilities included structuring, documenting, and negotiating significant client transactions in buyouts, sales, and follow-on investments, along with handling executive compensation and employment issues.

His expertise extends to leveraging best legal practices to minimize legal risks and costs while optimizing business growth. He has managed various operational and transactional challenges, such as vendor contracts, sales representations, and product liability issues. Moreover, he has assisted high-profile entrepreneurs and companies through the start-up and capitalization stages.

Tom’s extensive career provides significant value in his collaborative efforts with teams to discover and enhance growth opportunities while managing legal risks. His vast experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate sales, reorganizations, and sophisticated financial mechanisms like warrants, options, and convertible debt is unparalleled.

Tom obtained his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law and an A.B. in Economics from the same university. His hands-on, strategic approach has consistently earned accolades from clients, highlighting his ability to conduct transactions efficiently and amiably. Under Tom's guidance, Hourglass Legal continues to excel as a trusted advisor in the legal field, achieving successful outcomes for its clients.