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Dr. Thomas J. Powell — Senior Advisor, The Brehon Group
Currently advising · San Francisco / Dublin
MMXXVI · Private Practice & Public Policy
§ 001 Senior Advisor · The Brehon Group Est. 1988 · Silicon Valley

Private capital, disciplined counsel,
& long view.

Three and a half decades at the intersection of private equity, commercial banking, and securities law — structuring deals, protecting assets, and advising entrepreneurs across Europe and the United States.

Tenure
38 yrsin banking & finance
Citizenship
EU / USdual jurisdiction
Service
45 yrsBoys & Girls Clubs of America
Dr. Thomas J. Powell
Plate I. Dr. T. J. Powell, Sausalito · 2026
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Institutional Affiliations & Academic Record
Harvard UniversityInternational Development
Northwestern — PritzkerSchool of Law
Northeastern UniversityDoctor of Law & Policy
The Brehon GroupSenior Advisor
Boys & Girls ClubsNational Trustee
§ 002  /  Biography

A financier, jurist, and scholar whose practice spans continents and disciplines.

From Silicon Valley in 1988 to the chambers of international capital today — an arc defined by creative structure, rigorous compliance, and quiet stewardship of client wealth.

Thomas J. Powell
in his own words

My entrepreneurial career in banking and finance began in 1988 in Silicon Valley and has spanned over three and a half decades, during which I have developed extensive expertise in private equity, commercial banking, alternative asset management, and asset protection.

As Senior Advisor at The Brehon Group since 2008, I have guided clients in achieving their strategic goals through creative structure, expert advice, and measured guidance — with a specialization in legal strategy for securities litigation and settlements.

“The work is, ultimately, about stewardship — of capital, of counsel, and of the communities that capital serves.”

Holding dual citizenship in the European Union and the United States, I navigate the complexities of international business with fluency in both legal traditions. My practice integrates banking experience with a thorough knowledge of federal and state securities laws, compliance, and negotiations — complementing my background in raising capital for early-stage startups, foreign direct investment, and the financial structuring of large projects.

Beyond the firm, my doctoral research at Northeastern University examined the global epidemic of middle-income workforce housing shortages in rural resort communities — a subject I pursue through lecture halls, public policy work, and private advisory.

§ 003  /  Practice

Areas of counsel & engagement.

A practice organized around four disciplines — each informed by the others, and each grounded in three decades of deal-level experience.

01 / Capital

Private Equity & Alternative Assets

Deal structuring, risk analysis, and capital formation for sponsors and limited partners across cross-border portfolios.

Raise · Structure · Exit
02 / Banking

Commercial Banking & Financial Structuring

Origination and structuring of senior and mezzanine facilities for early-stage ventures and large-scale projects.

Credit · Covenants · Syndication
03 / Law

Securities Litigation & Settlements

Strategy for federal and state securities matters, compliance regimes, and the negotiation of complex settlements.

Strategy · Compliance · Counsel
04 / Stewardship

Asset Protection & Private Wealth

Modeling proven strategies that safeguard client wealth across jurisdictions and generational horizons.

Trust · Jurisdiction · Continuity
§ 004  /  The Record, in Figures
Career
1988
First desk in Silicon Valley; continuous practice through the present day.
Tenure at Brehon
18 yrs
Senior Advisor since 2008, across two global financial cycles.
Jurisdictions
2
Dual EU / US citizenship; practice conversant in both legal traditions.
Community
45 yrs
Continuous service with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, incl. the National Board of Trustees.
§ 005  /  Credentials

An academic record in law, policy, and development.

Formal study undertaken in parallel with active practice — the classroom informing the deal, and the deal informing the research.

Academic Record

D.L.P.
Doctor of Law & Policy
Northeastern University — dissertation on middle-income workforce housing shortages in rural resort communities.
M.L.S.
Master of Legal Studies
Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
Grad.
International Development
Harvard University — graduate studies.
M.B.A.
Master of Business Administration
Coursework and concentration in finance.

Appointments & Affiliations

2008 —
Senior Advisor, The Brehon Group
Private equity, commercial banking, alternative asset management, asset protection.
Board
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Over 45 years of service, including the National Board of Trustees.
Faculty
International Lecturer
Invited speaker on private equity, asset protection, and MIWH policy.
1988 —
Entrepreneur & Banker
Career origin in Silicon Valley banking; continuous practice since.
§ 006  /  On Practice

“Creative structure is not the art of complication — it is the discipline of finding the simplest durable instrument that achieves the client’s strategic intent across jurisdictions, cycles, and generations.”

TJP
Thomas J. PowellSenior Advisor, The Brehon Group
§ 007  /  Blog

Latest from the Journal.

Notes on private capital, securities law, and the housing questions facing rural resort economies.

Connecting to ThomasJPowell.com…
§ 008  /  Speaking

Recent lectures & appearances.

A partial schedule of recent and forthcoming engagements. For invitations, please contact the office directly.

26 · 04
Private Capital & Public Good
London School of Economics
Keynote · Policy
Brief
26 · 03
Structuring the Unstructurable: Cross-Border Deals
IESE · Barcelona
Panel · PE
Brief
26 · 02
MIWH & the Economics of Resort Towns
Northeastern Law & Policy Forum
Lecture · Housing
Brief
25 · 11
Asset Protection in Two Jurisdictions
Dublin Private Wealth Forum
Keynote · Practice
Brief
25 · 09
Early-Stage Capital in Foreign Direct Investment
Stanford GSB Alumni Series
Conversation · FDI
Brief
§ 009  /  Correspondence

Write to the office.

Inquiries from clients, academic institutions, and organisers of lectures or convenings are welcome. Responses are considered and, where appropriate, personal.

Practice
The Brehon Group
Senior Advisor · since 2008
Channels
[email protected]
Secure dispatch by arrangement
Correspondence is treated in confidence.