Thomas A. Adams

Tom is a partner in the Vorys Cincinnati office, a leader in the intellectual property (IP) group, and the leader of the firm’s trademark and copyright teams.  He has nearly three decades of experience advising iconic and leading consumer brands as both outside and in-house counsel.

Before joining Vorys, Tom worked in the legal department at Procter & Gamble (P&G) for more than 20 years, most recently as a senior director and associate general counsel.  In this role, he led global trademark and copyright strategy across P&G’s businesses and oversaw a portfolio of 110,000+ marks.  He also streamlined global trademark clearance, crafted stewardship policies for third-party IP usage, and built the company’s Sports & Entertainment Center of Excellence (COE), which led the way in sports marketing activations and the negotiation and servicing of P&G’s celebrity, athlete and sponsorship transactions.

Tom is known for his business-first approach to IP, trademark, copyright, advertising and marketing law. As a former in-house counsel, he understands the budget and speed constraints legal departments face and the real-world risk determinations businesses expect.  Tom partners with clients to align legal strategy with commercial objectives, helping them not only protect but also maximize the value of their brands.  Tom has deep knowledge of the role that trademarks and copyrights play in overall marketing and brand strategies and helps clients develop solutions to navigate legal hurdles and lay the groundwork to achieve their ultimate goals.

Tom also has significant experience in emerging areas including influencer and affiliate marketing, digital media, in-house advertising and content production, and AI-driven advertising.  He has negotiated and managed high-stakes global sponsorships, endorsements, and licensing deals with nearly all of the major sports leagues, numerous high-profile celebrities and various entertainment companies.

He is frequently sought out for his insights on the evolving intersection of IP, technology, marketing and business and regularly speaks on these subjects.

Tom received his J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.  He earned his B.A. in English from Illinois Wesleyan University.