Chris is a highly experienced corporate transactional attorney with 25 years of global law firm and senior executive experience. He provides guidance to companies at all stages of their life cycle, from formation to exit, on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and spin-offs, venture capital and private equity transactions, debt financing transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, outsourcing transactions, commercialization and licensing of technology, and other general corporate matters. Chris is in frequent, if not daily, communication with the CEOs, directors and senior management teams of his clients. Drawing on his business experience, Chris favors pragmatic and actionable advice, married with the business and financial objectives of his client and designed to move deals to conclusion.
While a meaningful portion of Chris’ diverse practice consists of advising mature companies, he has two and a half decades of experience counseling early, growth, and late-stage venture-backed companies on day-to-day legal and business issues such as executive summary and pitchdeck development, entity formation, business model development, capital structure, pitch coaching, financing, capital raising, growth and exit strategies, employment and founder matters, equity compensation, and other strategic or tactical matters. Chris has represented startup and emerging growth companies, venture capital funds, private equity funds, corporate venture units, private family offices, angel, and other high net worth investors in venture capital transactions and private equity transactions including structuring and negotiating the purchase and sale of seed preferred stock, preferred stock, convertible notes, SAFEs, KISSes, bridge loans, PIPE transactions, and financing-related recapitalizations. He also makes the necessary investor introductions to assist his clients in raising capital. Chris is dedicated to nurturing and building startup and emerging growth companies, networking, and interacting with the venture community and providing insight through the COpilot program that he helps manage and oversee.
Prior to running his own firm Baer Crossey McDemus, Chris was the senior V.P. and general counsel at ClearPoint Business Resources, Inc. (sold to MDT Tek, LLC), the V.P. and assistant general counsel at ICT Group, Inc. (sold to Sykes), and the senior V.P., corporate development and chief legal officer at Scünci International, Inc. (sold to Conair Corporation). Chris started out his career as an associate at Cozen O’Connor and another Global 100 law firm.
Chris earned his bachelor’s degree from Providence College and his law degree from Widener University School of Law, where he was the internal managing editor of The Delaware Journal of Corporate Law.