Chris Davis chairs Kleinberg Kaplan's Mergers and Acquisitions and Investor Activism Groups. He advises domestic and international clients on mergers, stock and asset purchases, shareholder activism, proxy contests and tender offers, stock-for-stock mergers, auction sales, defensive and target reviews, joint ventures, divestitures, restructurings, financings and minority investments in public and private companies. He has represented investment funds, start-up and mature companies, merchant banks and financial institutions in general corporate work and in numerous investments, private placements, loans, PIPEs and business combinations.
Recent representations include:
• Third Avenue in its joint venture with a public company to purchase the assets of a leading modular home manufacturer out of bankruptcy
• Basso Private Series LLC in the sale of 100% of its majority interest in Independent Brewers United, Inc., the maker of Magic Hat and Pyramid beers, to a subsidiary of North American Breweries Inc., the brewery platform of KPS Capital Partners LP.
• Elliott Associates, L.P. in a proxy contest resulting in the open-ending of The Salomon Brothers Fund, Inc., the oldest and largest closed-end fund in the Citigroup family of funds
• Paulson & Co. Inc., on behalf of the several investment funds and accounts managed by it, in connection with its investments in Conseco, Inc.
• DellaCamera Capital Management in its campaign to unlock shareholder value in Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., including by removing the CEO through a shareholder consent solicitation. As a result of DellaCamera’s campaign, Enzon’s Board of Directors separated the roles of CEO and Chairman, appointed a new Chairman, and added a new independent member of the Board
• Bank Hapoalim B.M., one of Israel's largest banks, in connection with its agreement to acquire 50.01% of NuVerse Advisors LLC, a New York-based investment manager
• Elliott Associates, L.P. in connection with its bid to acquire the assets of SemMaterials, L.P. under §363 of the Bankruptcy Code
• Elliott Associates, L.P. in connection with Elliott’s credit bid with other lenders to acquire certain Delphi assets
• Third Avenue, on behalf of a consortium of hedge funds, in its reorganization, refinancing and purchase out of bankruptcy of a luxury golf course development in Texas
• Elliott Associates, L.P. in connection with the sale of its interest in the stock and notes of Answer Financial Inc. to the affiliates of White Mountains Insurance Group, and the related prepackaged plan of reorganization of Answer Financial, Inc. under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code
• Luxor Capital Partners, L.P., a New York based hedge fund, in the sale of its 50% interest in Palladon Iron Corporation, an iron ore mining company, for a total purchase price of $65 million to Palladon Ventures Ltd., a publicly-traded company listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange
• The principals of Brookville Capital Management, L.P. in the sale of Brookville’s assets to Morgan Stanley
• Burlingame Asset Management, the largest independent stockholder of Everlast Worldwide, Inc., in the public fight for control of Everlast
• Esopus Creek Value, LP and Black Horse Capital, New York-based hedge funds, in a suit against Metromedia International Group Inc., a Delaware corporation and its board. The hedge funds challenged Metromedia's efforts to sell the company's remaining assets without obtaining the consent of its common stockholders. Metromedia had planned to file for bankruptcy and quickly sell the assets to avoid Delaware's ban on such a sale
• A large shareholder of ShopKo Stores, Inc. in opposing an announced sale transaction, eventually resulting in a substantially improved offer in which that shareholder participated in the acquiring bid
BAR ADMISSION:
1991, New York
EDUCATION:
Syracuse University (J.D., 1989), Syracuse University Scholar
Lead Articles Editor and Symposium Editor, Syracuse University Journal of International Law and Commerce
Georgetown University (A.B., cum laude, 1986)
MEMBER:
New York City Bar Association
