Thomas A. Beaudoin

Thomas Beaudoin is a partner in the firm’s Business Law Department and a member of its Private Investment Funds practice. A leader in the field of fund formation, Tom advises venture capital and private equity funds, and his clients include premier venture capitalists in the United States, Israel and other technology centers, as well as small and mid-sized private equity funds. He also represents institutional investors in the United States and abroad in their investments in all types of private investment funds. Tom’s clients include Canaan Partners, Emergence Capital Partners, Accomplice, Kreos Capital, Pitango Ventures, Viola Group and WestView Capital. He joined Goodwin in 2012.

Tom served on the Advisory Boards to Private Equity International’s PE/VC Partnership Agreements Study and Asset Alternatives’ survey of “Private Equity Partnership Terms and Conditions.” He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Boston Bar Association.

Prior to joining Goodwin in 2012, Tom was partner at WilmerHale, where he chaired its Fund Formation Practice group. Previously, he was partner at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault.

Tom has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America Best Lawyers for his work in Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law 2022-2023.

Tom has been recognized as a Massachusetts and nationwide leader in Private Equity and Venture Capital by Chambers USA in 2023. Tom has been recognized as a Massachusetts leader in the private equity field in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Chambers USA and Chambers Global for his work in Venture Capital Fund Formation and Chambers MA 2021 for his work in Private Equity Fund Formation.

Tom was a recommended lawyer for Private equity funds (including venture capital) by The Legal 500 US from 2021-2023.

He was named a “Leading Lawyer” in the area of investment fund formation and management: venture capital funds in 2009 edition of The Legal 500 United States , as well as a “New England Super Lawyer” in corporate law from 2008-2011 by Boston magazine.

He is listed in Legal Media Group’s 2008 Guide to the World’s Leading Private Equity Lawyers, in the 2008 and 2011 editions of Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Private Funds Lawyers, and in Best Lawyers in the area of private funds law.

Tom has been listed in each edition of Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers since 2004.

He has also been recognized by the 2017 edition of The Legal 500 in the area of investment fund formation and management: private equity funds.

Tom is co-author of “Trends in the Private Equity Secondary Market,” Business Law Today (March/April 2009) and “Indicators Point to a Busy Year for Venture Investors,” Boston Business Journal (February 18, 2005).

He speaks frequently at private equity industry-sponsored events. Some of his more recent presentations include:

• Speaker, “Sweetwood Ventures NextGen, Legal Session – Raising Money from Institutional Limited Partners and Other Topics,” May, 2023 and March 2022
• Speaker, “How to Raise a Debut Fund,” Private Equity Professional Webinar, November, 2021
• Speaker, “Best Practices in GP-led Secondaries,” Private Equity Professional Webinar, March 2020
• Speaker, “Board Governance: LPAC Best Practices,” ILPA European Forum, February, 2017
• Speaker, Silicon Valley Bank – Hot Topics and Trends Impacting Private Equity, October, 2015
• Speaker, NVCA VC GC Meeting – Fund Formation and Related Issues, May, 2014
• Speaker, “SEC Lifting the Ban on General Solicitation,” Goodwin Seminar August, 2013
• Speaker, “Impacts and Implications of United States and European Financial Reform Legislation on Private Equity Funds and their Limited Partners,” Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) Members Conference, June, 2013
• Speaker, “The European AIFM Directive Update for Non-European Fund Managers,” Goodwin Procter Breakfast Briefing, May, 2013
• Speaker, Kreos Capital Annual Meeting – Moderator: Limited Partner Panel, March, 2013
• Speaker, “The JOBS Act: How it Will Change Fundraising for PE Firms,” Dow Jones Webinar, October, 2012
• Speaker, “Dodd-Frank and the New Investment Advisers Act Registration Requirements,” ILPA Webcast Series, April, 2012