Thomas E. Szykowny
Practice Areas
Industries
Education
- The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law, J.D., 1982
Ohio State Law Journal, Member and Editor, 1981-1982 - Denison University, B.A., 1979, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Bar & Court Admissions
Tom is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the corporate group. He concentrates on insurance regulatory and transactional matters as well as general business and corporate transactional matters. He also represents several Ohio trade associations. Tom has had experience in advising whether activities of several clients required their licensure as managing general agents in various states. He has also reviewed managing general agent contracts with insurance carriers.
Career highlights include:
- Representing Plaskolite, LLC, an Ohio-based family owned acrylics manufacturing company, with operations throughout the United States and Internationally, for over 25 years in numerous transactions, including:
- An acquisition of Rotuba Extruders, Inc.’s profile lighting business
- A $22.4 million facility expansion project
- A $24 million acquisition of an extruded acrylic sheet business
- A $4.8 million acquisition of a thermoplastic sheet business
- Establishing a joint venture to construct a manufacturing plant in Turkey
- A $17.25 million acquisition of an extruded acrylic sheet business
- Sale of control to a private equity firm following an auction in which family owners and management team retained an interest utilizing buyer-side representation and warranty insurance to facilitate customary indemnification arrangements including an escrow, a basket and cap
- Representing a super regional insurance company in the cross-purchase of shares of an affiliate, recapitalization of a subsidiary, redemption of surplus notes, termination of captive insurance company and revising reinsurance arrangements
- Providing counsel to a national customer service center provider regarding applicable requirements for insurance adjusters, insurance agents and providers, customer service representatives, third party administrators and insurance appraisers
- Representing one of the largest health care insurance companies in the United States in connection with its Form A filing and approval at the Ohio Department of Insurance
- Representing insurance brokers and others in a market conduct transaction before the Ohio Department of Insurance
- Serving as outside general counsel for one of the largest fraternal insurance associations in the United States
- Representing a super regional mutual insurance company in the sale of its life insurance company.
Tom participates in – and Vorys is an advisor member of – the Family Office Exchange, an authority on matters related to legacy wealth management. In addition, he is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Columbus Bar Association.
Tom received his J.D. from The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law where he was the recipient of the William Oxley Thompson Alumni Award and was a member and the editor of the Ohio State Law Journal. He received his B.A. summa cum laude from Denison University where he was Phi Beta Kappa.
Professional and Community Activities
- Denison University Board of Trustees, 1979-1981; 2013 – Current Trustee
- Federation of Regulatory Counsel, Member
- CBS Agency, Inc., Board of Directors, Current Member
- Greater Columbus Arts Council, Current Trustee, Chairperson, and Member of Executive Committee
- I Know I Can, Former Trustee and Past President
- The Griffith Insurance Education Foundation, Former Trustee
- The Columbus Academy, Former Trustee; past Board President; past President of Parents’ Association
- Denison University Research Foundation, 1992-1999
- Buckeye Ranch, President, 1991-1992
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, Columbus Insurance Law Lawyer of the Year, 2012
- The Best Lawyers in America, Insurance Law, 2012-2020
- Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2014, 2017-2018
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated
- Columbus Jaycees Distinguished Service Award, 1989
- Columbus Bar Association Service Award, 1992
- Fellow of the Columbus Bar Foundation since 1994
- Ohio State Bar Association Community Service Award, 1995
- Fellow of the Ohio State Bar Foundation since 1995
News
- 8/15/2019One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020.
- 8/15/2018One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019.
- 8/17/2017One hundred and eight lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018.
- 7/7/2017Tom Szykowny, a partner in the Columbus office, has been elected as board chair of the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC).
- 3/28/2017This year, 54 Vorys attorneys were listed in the 2017 Columbus CEO “Top Lawyers” List.
- 8/15/2016One-hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017.
- 8/17/2015One-hundred and eighteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016.
- 8/18/2014One-hundred and ten lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015.
- 8/14/2013One hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2014.
- 8/23/2012One hundred and twenty-six lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013.
- 10/5/2011
- 9/6/2011
Insights
- 2/18/2019Ohio recently added comprehensive cybersecurity requirements to its insurance laws through Substitute Senate Bill 273, which take effect on or about March 19, 2019.
- 1/18/2019On December 19, 2018, then-Governor John Kasich signed Senate Bill 263, the Notary Public Modernization Act (the Act), which, among other things, will permit online notarizations beginning on September 18, 2019.
- 12/22/2017Tom Szykowny and Anthony Spina, partners in the Vorys Columbus office, co-authored an article for the FORC Journal of Insurance Law and Regulation(Vol. 28 Edition 3 - Winter 2017) titled “Insurance Agents Held To Be Employees for ERISA Purposes.”
- 11/18/2016On November 1, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2016-66. The Notice designates certain so-called “micro-captive” insurance company transactions as “transactions of interest” for purposes of Treas. Reg. Sec. 1.6011-4(b)(6), Code Sec. 6111, and Code Sec. 6112.
- 9/17/2014Now that Ohio’s Captive Insurance Legislation is effective, companies are likely thinking: “What are my next steps?” Each Captive is unique and its creation and operation will depend on a number of factors, including the business purpose behind forming the Captive. A company considering the use of a Captive will need to weigh the positives and negatives associated with forming and operating a Captive.
- 7/1/2014Substitute House Bill Number 117 (Ohio’s Captive Legislation) will become effective mid-September 2014. Ohio’s Captive Legislation creates a regulatory scheme that permits the formation in Ohio of pure captives (a captive that insures only the risks of its parent and affiliates), protected cell captives (a captive that is made up of separate segregated cells that each contain their own assets and liabilities) and a special purpose financial captive. This alert will focus only on pure captives, but we are available to answer any questions you may have regarding protected cell captives and special purpose financial captives.