Biography
Chris represents buyers and sellers in mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, with a focus on efficiently executing transactions involving small and middle‑market companies across a wide range of industries. He regularly advises founders, owner‑operators, private investors, and strategic acquirers on structuring, negotiating, and closing transactions with an emphasis on commercial practicality, risk allocation, and deal certainty.
In addition to serving as lead transactional counsel, Chris acts as a strategic quarterback for his clients—providing hands‑on legal advice while also identifying, coordinating, and integrating subject‑matter specialists as needed to support the transaction or the client’s broader business objectives. This includes working closely with attorneys across the firm as well as third‑party advisors such as tax professionals, industry specialists, investment bankers, and other consultants to ensure clients receive practical, well‑rounded advice without unnecessary friction or inefficiency.
Chris also regularly furnishes outside general counsel services to closely held and growth‑oriented businesses, advising on a broad range of corporate and securities matters, including securities offerings, corporate reorganizations and restructurings, commercial contracts, corporate governance, and the formation and maintenance of business entities. In his transactional and general counsel practice, Chris incorporates artificial intelligence and advanced legal technology to streamline diligence, enhance issue‑spotting, and improve drafting efficiency—allowing clients to move faster and make better‑informed decisions while maintaining rigorous legal judgment and partner‑level oversight.
Areas of Focus
+Mergers & Acquisitions
- Represented buyer in a multi-site acquisition of a fast-growing chain of coffee stores
- Represented buyer in a control-level acquisition of a medical supply company
- Represented survivor in a merger of healthcare technology companies and follow-on capital raise
- Represented target in the acquisition of a biomarker testing and development company to publicly traded acquirer
- Represented seller in the sale of a water treatment and chemicals distribution company to publicly traded acquirer
- Represented seller in sale of pressure and temperature instrumentation distribution company to private-equity backed acquirer
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a multi-property car dealership
- Represented buyer in a control-level acquisition of an industrial electrical contractor
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a professional soccer franchise
- Represented buyer in a strategic asset purchase of a software developer
- Represented asset sellers in multiple strategic acquisitions of medical practices
- Represented seller in an acquisition of a continuing care retirement community owner/operator
- Represented seller in a strategic investment in a mortgage lending company
- Represented seller in an asset sale and equity rollover of a strategic communications agency
+Outside General Counsel Services
- Served as outside general counsel to healthcare technology company on a wide range of operational, commercial, and transactional matters
- Counseled medical and dental practices on various matters
- Counseled software development company
- Counseled multi-state restaurant franchisee on various matters
- Counseled multi-state warehousing, transportation, and logistics solutions providers on various matters
+Business Organizations & Transactions
- Advised growth-oriented dental practice
- Represented artificial intelligence solutions provider in seed round fundraising and general corporate matters
- Represented multi-national corporation in a comprehensive, multi-phase restructuring and reorganization of its US-based subsidiaries
- Represented hotel operator in secured refinancing transaction
- Represented multi-state restaurant franchisee in a secured refinancing transaction
- Represented operator of charter schools in construction and permanent financing transactions
- Represented joint municipal power agency in the development of an electric generation facility
Credentials
+EDUCATION
University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D., 2015
Harvard Graduate School of Education, M.A., 2011
Brown University, A.B., magna cum laude, 2007
+NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® “Ones to Watch”
Ranked among Super Lawyers magazine’s North Carolina “Rising Stars®” (Mergers & Acquisitions; Business/Corporate) 2018, 2021-2025
