After working for over nine years as a corporate and securities lawyer in New York City, Chris transitioned to the craft spirits industry where he spent six years founding the first post-prohibition distillery company in Queens and then running the distilling and production operations of one of New York’s largest craft distilleries in Brooklyn before returning to private practice. Now as a member of the HSE Securities and Capital Markets team, Chris leverages his entrepreneurial and legal perspective to help clients achieve their objectives.
Chris advises publicly-traded and privately-held companies on accessing and utilizing capital markets while ensuring federal and state securities law compliance. He counsels clients on corporate governance, public and private offerings of securities, FINRA and stock exchange regulatory compliance, compliance with the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, NYSE and NASDAQ rules, and mergers and acquisitions.
Chris has extensive experience representing Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, or SPACs, from formation, listing on an exchange and completing their IPO, through to assisting in the negotiating, signing and closing of a business combination. This experience also extends to advising management teams and companies following a business combination to manage the transition from SPAC to operating company with a view to the long-term success of the transaction. Chris also has experience representing underwriters in connection with SPAC IPOs.
Prior to his distilling career, Chris practiced with Loeb & Loeb LLP and Proskauer Rose LLP in New York City.
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC AFFILIATIONS
- Board Member, Rochester Makerspace, Inc.
HONORS & AWARDS
- Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® for Corporate Governance Law
- Selected, “New York Rising Star” in Securities and Corporate Finance, Thomson Reuters, 2013 and 2014
- New York University School of Law
- Founding Managing Editor, Journal of Law & Business
- Dean’s Merit Scholarship
- Co-Chair, Latino Law Students Association
