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Christopher Mendez

Senior Counsel
Senior Counsel
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VCard
VCard

Areas of Focus

Overview

Christopher Mendez is a senior counsel in the New York office of Crowell & Moring. Chris is an experienced alternative investment attorney whose expertise spans the broader investment management industry, including advising on complex fund formation and transactional matters, as well as SEC examination and enforcement experience.

Chris has significant experience in the structuring and formation of a wide array of investment funds and other pooled investment vehicles, including hedge funds, credit funds, hybrid funds, private equity funds, real estate funds, digital asset funds, venture funds, single investor funds, co-investments, joint ventures, and separately managed accounts. In addition to fund formation, Chris has experience in corporate and fund-related transactions, including, seeding arrangements, spinouts, lift-outs, investment management, M&A, and new financial product development.

With his deep understanding of front-, middle-, and back-office issues, Chris has managed legal and compliance teams across numerous asset classes and fund structures and regularly advises and represents fund managers on legal, compliance, and operational matters.

Prior to joining Crowell, Chris served as the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of an investment fund and firm client, Commonwealth Asset Management (a spin-out of Soros Fund Management). He joined Commonwealth from Semper Capital Management, a credit-focused manager, where he was also General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer.

Career & Education

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    • General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Commonwealth Asset Management, LP, Los Angeles, CA
    • General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Semper Capital Management, LP, New York, NY
    • General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Commonwealth Asset Management, LP, Los Angeles, CA
    • General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Semper Capital Management, LP, New York, NY

    • Rutgers Law School, J.D., 2015
    • Temple University – Fox School of Business and Management, B.B.A., 2010
    • Rutgers Law School, J.D., 2015
    • Temple University – Fox School of Business and Management, B.B.A., 2010

    • New York
    • New York

    • Board of Directors, Volunteers of Legal Services (VOLS)
    • Military Veteran, U.S. Marine Corps
    • Board of Directors, Volunteers of Legal Services (VOLS)
    • Military Veteran, U.S. Marine Corps

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Representative Matters

Select Fund Formation Matters

Hybrid Liquid and Illiquid Private Fund

  • Advised on complex tax-efficient hybrid liquid and illiquid fund structure – combining several asset classes – with multiple share classes and side pocket features, including heavily negotiated and tailored fund offering documents.

Master-Feeder Hedge Fund

  • Advised on master-feeder fund structure with broad investment mandate; including onshore and offshore private placement memorandum, subscription agreements, bespoke side letters, complex organizational documents, and several service provider agreements.

Opportunistic Credit Evergreen Fund of One and Co-Investment Vehicle

  • Advised on the launch of a complex opportunistic credit evergreen fund of one and co-investment arrangement seeded by a sovereign wealth fund.

Equity Capital Markets Master-Feeder Fund

  • Advised on master-feeder fund structure with a broad equity capital markets mandate with onshore and offshore limited partners. Seeded by multinational investment conglomerate.

Established Multiple Co-Investment SPVs

  • Advised on multiple stand-alone onshore and offshore single and multi-investor co-investment vehicles and SPVs to invest pari-passu to main fund vehicles. Highly tailored investment vehicles with heavily negotiated partnership agreements, subscription agreements, side letters, and investment management agreements.

GP/LP Fund Seeding Arrangements

  • Advised on several GP/LP seeding arrangements and minority investment transactions involving first-time fund launches and manager spinouts; each with complex management fee and carried interest sharing arrangements, and heavily negotiated term sheets and related deal documents.

Select Transactional Matters

Preferred Equity and Convertible Note Financing

  • Advised on the participation in an emergency debt and equity capital raise to fund liquidity needs of a well-known retail trading company, including negotiations with multiple co-lead investors and structuring of an affiliated investment SPV.

Convertible Note Financing

  • Advised on a $400M convertible note financing of a large payment processing company ahead of a DeSPAC transaction. Financing was conducted in multiple tranches across several closings with numerous underlying investors.

Restructuring and Bankruptcy Transaction

  • Advised an investor consortium on the pre-bankruptcy recapitalization and post-chapter 11 restructuring of tech-driven off-site construction company. Included bridge loan and DIP financing, asset bidding, and complex Sec. 382 NOL preservation analysis with tax counsel.

Hospitality Platform Acquisition

  • Advised private equity-focused family office on the bidding, acquisition, and financing of a bankrupt food and beverage platform, including formation of a special purpose investment vehicle and related platform organizational documents.

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