Christopher J. Bellini

Chair, Private Equity
Co-Chair, Capital Markets & Securities

Minneapolis

(612) 260-9029

(612) 260-9080

Chris is chair of Cozen O'Connor's Private Equity Practice and co-chair of the Capital Markets & Securities Practice. Chris concentrates his practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, and securities and compliance issues. His clients include private equity firms and their portfolio companies, public and private companies in a variety of industries, and investment banks.

Chris’ mergers and acquisition practice focuses on representing strategic and private equity buyers and sellers on public and private acquisitions and divestitures, as well as representing boards of directors of public companies on their fiduciary duties in the context of a change of control. His securities practice focuses on representing issuers and underwriters in SEC-registered public offerings, debt financing, and private placement transactions, and on securities compliance and corporate governance matters.

During his career, Chris also spent time as an investment banker at Piper Jaffray & Co. (now Piper Sandler Companies). In this role, he advised clients in the technology industry on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions.

Chris earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and his LL.M. from the New York University School of Law, where he was the graduate editor of the New York University Journal of International Law and Politics. Chris received his bachelor's degree, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota.

Experience

News

Chambers Ranks 86 Cozen O’Connor Lawyers, 22 Practice Areas in Chambers USA 2022 Guide

June 02, 2022

Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the United States, has ranked 86 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the guide’s 2022 edition.

82 Cozen O’Connor Lawyers, 19 Practices Earn Top Recognition in Chambers USA 2021 Guide

May 26, 2021

Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the United States, has ranked 82 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the guide’s 2021 edition; of those, 15 lawyers have been recognized nationally.

Cozen O'Connor Represents Underwriters in Cannabis Finance REIT Readies $100M IPO

February 03, 2021

AFC Gamma, a Florida-based real estate investment trust that finances cannabis ventures, set terms for a roughly $100 million initial public offering.

Cozen O’Connor Promotes Six Members to Shareholder

August 24, 2020

Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce the promotion of six members to shareholders.

63 Cozen O’Connor Lawyers, 16 Practices Earn Top Recognition in Chambers USA 2020 Guide

May 14, 2020

Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the United States, has ranked 63 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the guide’s 2020 edition.

U.S. Companies Walk Legal Tightrope as Earnings Season Kicks Off

April 15, 2020

Chris Bellini discusses how The Securities and Exchange Commission’s guidance on reporting earnings outlooks during the coronavirus pandemic could create pitfalls for U.S. companies in The New York Times.

Cozen O’Connor Advises Cannabis Industry Leader, Acreage Holdings, Inc., in $160 Million Acquisition of Form Factory, Inc.

January 02, 2019

Acreage will issue approximately 6.4 million Subordinate Voting Shares to Form Factory shareholders at a deemed price of $25 (USD) per share. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019.

Publications

Gensler's SEC Can Bring Regulatory Clarity to Digital Assets

April 14, 2021

Chris Bellini and Kara Kapp discuss potential changes to be made to the digital assets industry as a result of Gensler’s recent appointment as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in ThinkAdvisor.

SEC Releases Sample Comment Letter for Issuers Conducting Offerings During Periods of Volatility [Alert]

February 23, 2021

Chris Bellini discusses the sample letter published by the SEC that identifies a number of sample comments the SEC may provide to issuers conducting securities offerings amid market and price volatility.

Nasdaq Proposes New Rules Regarding Board Diversity for Listed Companies

December 03, 2020

On December 1, 2020, The Nasdaq Stock Market filed a proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to adopt new listing rules that relate to diversity of board composition, proposed Rule 5605(f), and disclosure of statistical information on board composition, proposed Rule 5606.

SEC Adopts Amendments to Modernize Shareholder Proposal Rules [Alert]

September 28, 2020

Chris Bellini discusses the SEC's amendments to modernize Rule 14a-8, which governs the process for shareholder proposals to be included in a company’s proxy statement.

SEC Releases Guidance Regarding COVID-19 Disclosure Considerations [Alert]

June 25, 2020

Kathy Jaffari, Edgar Rapoport, and Chris Bellini discuss the SEC's June 23, 2020, guidance on disclosure considerations regarding operations, liquidity, and capital resources in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SEC Proposes to Expand Private Offerings [Alert]

March 11, 2020

Chris Bellini discusses the SEC's proposal to streamline the current framework of rules and guidance governing exempt offerings and to broaden the availability of such offerings.

SEC Proposes to Update Accredited Investor Definition [Alert]

December 23, 2019

Chris Bellini discusses propose amendments to the definition of “accredited investor” in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933.

SEC Proposes to Improve Disclosures Relating to Acquisitions and Dispositions of Businesses [Alert]

May 08, 2019

Chris Bellini discusses the SEC’s proposed amendments relate to the financial disclosure requirements in Rules 3-05, 3-14, and Article 11 of Regulation S-X.

Delaware Supreme Court Reemphasizes Importance of Deal Price in Appraisal Litigation [Alert]

May 01, 2019

Chris Bellini discusses the Delaware Supreme Court's preference for deal price, assuming a reasonable process, in a strategic merger.

SEC Adopts Amendments for FAST Act Modernization and Simplification of Regulation S-K [Alert]

April 08, 2019

The changes adopted by the SEC will become effective on May 2, 2019, except for the requirement to tag all cover page data in Inline XBRL and the amendments to the rules governing redactions of confidential information in material contracts.

SEC Proposes Expansion of “Test-the-Waters” Communications to All Issuers

March 04, 2019

Chris Bellini discusses proposed Rule 163B and what it means to issuers.

A Delaware First: Chancery Court Upholds Termination of Merger Based on MAE [Mergers & Acquisitions Alert]

October 09, 2018

Chris Bellini discusses the Chancery Court's findings in Akorn, and how the decision provides an excellent framework for understanding how the court analyzes MAE clauses and provides a useful roadmap for how buyers should act when confronting unforeseen post-signing issues.

SEC Adopts New Smaller Reporting Company and XBRL Rules [Securities Alert]

July 11, 2018

Chris Bellini discusses the SEC's final rules and rule proposals that broaden the definition of “smaller reporting company” and require the use of the Inline XBRL format in certain operating company and mutual fund filings.

SEC Charges 13 Private Fund Advisers for Repeated Filing Failures [Securities Alert]

June 12, 2018

Christopher Bellini and Ingrid Welch discuss the SEC's focus on policing even the most technical of violations and warn advisers to private funds that they should timely file their Form PF and that the information contained in their Form PF is accurate and complete.

Events & Seminars

Past Events

Private Equity in a Post COVID-19 World

October 26, 2021 - San Francisco, CA

Fireside Chat with Eric Zinterhofer

May 04, 2021 - New York, NY

Lower Middle Market

February 09, 2021

FEI 7th Annual Capital Markets/M&A Update

March 06, 2019 - Minneapolis, MN

Education

  • University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 1998
  • New York University School of Law, LL.M., 2000
  • University of Minnesota , B.A., cum laude, 1994

Awards & Honors

Chambers & Partners USA, 2020-2022

Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters

  • Minnesota
  • New York