TOM ASKOUNIS passed away in January 2026.

 

Tom was born in Chicago and earned a B.A. from Northwestern University.  The son of an attorney, Tom began his legal career in 1975, after graduating from the Vanderbilt University School of Law.  Starting in the 1980s, he focused his legal career on equipment finance and in 1992 formed Askounis & Borst, exclusively representing financial institutions, national and regional banks, and independent and captive leasing companies in bankruptcy/workouts and transactional matters.  He formed Askounis & Darcy in 2008 (now known as Darcy & Devassy) and continued the same practice in equipment finance until his retirement in 2018.   

 

Tom was known for his ability to identify quickly the legal pitfalls in complex fact patterns and for his steady hand in guiding clients and associate lawyers. He had a great sense of humor and was never above poking fun at himself, once famously hiring country music duo Debbie & Doyle to perform at a private dinner at the ELFA Legal Forum in Nashville. 

 

He is survived by his husband, Carlos Costa, and his two daughters, Viki and Katherine.   His law partners, Alex Darcy and Debbie Devassy Babu, as well as his numerous friends will always fondly remember him.