Overview
Chris Manderson has more than two decades of experience guiding clients through complex transactions at the intersection of business, law and finance. He advises public and private companies, private equity funds and entrepreneurs on a broad range of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity financings, restructurings and tax-efficient structures involving Net Operating Loss (NOL) assets.
In addition to his deal work, Chris is frequently engaged to advise on governance, securities regulation and compliance matters that demand both strategic judgment and technical precision. He has been recognized as a “Legal Visionary” by the Los Angeles Times and one of California’s “Top 100 Lawyers” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
He is highly sought after for:
- Mergers and acquisitions (buy- and sell-side)
- Venture capital and private equity financings
- Distressed M&A and restructurings
- Public and private securities offerings
- Corporate governance and compliance
- NOL preservation and monetization strategies
- Board and C-suite advisory
Prior to joining, Chris was a Partner and Chair of the Corporate Department at a full-service Beverly Hills-based firm. He began his legal career at two Am Law firms before serving as EVP and General Counsel of Real Industry, Inc., where he orchestrated a $525 million acquisition of an aluminum recycling business and a subsequent NASDAQ listing. In the wake of the 2009 Financial Crisis, he reorganized companies preserving over $2 billion in NOL tax assets, including Real Industry, Inc. (formerly Fremont General Corporation, with NOLs over $900 million) and Triad Guaranty, Inc. (with NOLs over $1.1 billion). His clients have included Rock & Republic Enterprises, Inc., Amgen, Inc., Dole Food Company, Seidler Equity Partners, Marwit Capital, Credit Suisse First Boston, Morgan Stanley & Co., and former Olympic Gold Medalist Tyler Hamilton in the Lance Armstrong investigation.
A frequent speaker on corporate finance and M&A trends, Chris has been quoted in Barron’s, Forbes, Newsweek, MarketWatch and the Los Angeles Business Journal. He has authored numerous articles on securities law reform and the Corporate Transparency Act.
Chris is a graduate of UCLA School of Law and UC Santa Barbara. He is admitted to practice in California. Outside of work, he restores vintage BMWs, skis, mountain bikes and supports German Shepherd rescue organizations.
Results
Chris’ recent notable transactions include his representation of:
- California Electronic Asset Recovery in its 2025 sale to Ancor Capital Partners, a transaction that provided a strategic exit for the seller and aligned with Ancor’s focus on investments in sustainable technology businesses focused on electronic asset recovery.
- Miso Robotics in securing a multi-million-dollar strategic investment from Ecolab Inc. to accelerate its growth in robotic kitchen automation and revolutionize food safety and efficiency.
- Vebu Inc., an automation developer, in a strategic investment from Chipotle, Inc., supporting the development of the Autocado, a robotic system designed to streamline avocado preparation in restaurant kitchens.
- Infrastructure investor Upwell Water LLC and strategic investor Elah Holdings, Inc., in multiple complex transactions focused on water infrastructure and the preservation and monetization of tax assets.
Additional company-side experience includes his representation of:
- Triad Guaranty, Inc., in its Chapter 11 reorganization, preserving $1.1 billion in Net Operating Loss carryforwards and all equity interests.
- Bitium, Inc., a cloud-based identity and access management and SSO platform, in its sale to Google Inc.
- A drone services company specializing in aerial photography, videography, mapping and data collection in its Series B financing.
- A robotics and artificial intelligence company in the food industry in connection with its Series A and Series B financings.
- The buyer in the carve-out acquisition of the Semantics Manager business from Rogue Wave Software, Inc.
- The buyer in the $525 million carve-out of Real Alloy, Inc., the aluminum recycling division of Aleris, Inc.
- NABCO, LLC, in its $87 million sale by a public company.
Additional investor experience includes his representation of:
- An investor in the Series AA financing of an InsurTech company focused on risk modeling and analytics.
- An investor in the Series Seed financing of a company developing a multi-network overlay SDN platform for Wi-Fi connectivity.
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Insights
News
Quoted, “What’s Ahead for DJT After Trump Takes Office,” Barron's, December 31, 2024
Interviewed, “Chris Manderson, Michael Piric, Michael B. Saryan and Dan Shea Share Insights on the Private Equity and M&A Landscape,” Los Angeles Times, October 28, 2024
Quoted, “Donald Trump could sell his ‘DJT’ stock after saying he won’t — but that might spark lawsuits,” Market Watch, September 17, 2024
Quoted, “East West Bank Sues Over a $40m Loan” Los Angeles Business Journal, July 24, 2024
Quoted, “EP Wealth Acquires Dallas Firm” Los Angeles Business Journal, July 22, 2024
Mentioned, “McCarter & English Denied $1M Fee Bid In Celsius Ch. 11,” Law360, March 1, 2024
Quoted, “M&A Hesitation: Banker Fears ‘Rose-Colored Glasses’ Syndrome” Los Angeles Business Journal, February 5, 2024
Quoted, “Seeing Stars: Bullish on Celebrities, Athletics” Los Angeles Business Journal, February 5, 2024
Quoted, “El reino magico tiene grietas,” Negocios, October 15, 2023
Quoted, “Erica Herman Dismisses $30 Million Civil Suit Against Tiger Woods’ Trust, But Leaves Door Open To Refile,” Forbes, July 21, 2023
Quoted, “Tiger Woods Scores Legal Victory In Battle With Ex-Girlfriend Erica Herman,” Forbes, May 19, 2023
Quoted, “Apple Buying Disney Would Create an Unparalleled Entertainment Behemoth,” Newsweek, April 17, 2023
Quoted, “IPO Comeback Delayed,” Los Angeles Business Journal, April 3, 2023
Quoted, “As Alex Rodriguez Pursues Bid To Buy New York Mets, A Years - Long Legal Battle Churns Ahead,” Forbes, August 17, 2020
Quoted, “U.S. Department of Justice going after Lance Armstrong as government joins Floyd Landis' whistleblower lawsuit against disgraced cyclist,” New York Daily News, February 23, 2013
Quoted, “Armstrong, Bonds, Et Al: A legal History Of Sports Prosecutions,” WBUR: Boston's National Public Radio, February 11, 2012
Quoted, “Tyler Hamilton's lawyers notify feds,” ESPN, June 13, 2011
Quoted, “Cyclist Tyler Hamilton Hands in 2004 Gold Medal to Doping Agency,” Bloomberg, May 20, 2011
Quoted, “Resurrection: Fallen Subprime Lender Emerges from Bankruptcy,” Turnarounds & Workouts, June 2010
Quoted, “Hamilton responds to WADA's life ban request,” Cycling News, July 17, 2009
Speaking Engagements
Presenter, “The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be,” GCG Dealmaker's Meeting, Tokyo, Japan, November 9, 2024
Presenter, “Distressed M&A Transactions,” GGI North American Regional Conference, Cleveland, OH, May 27, 2024
Co-presenter, “An Introduction to the Corporate Transparency Act,” Webinar, December 14, 2023
Presenter, “Succession & Exit: Strategies for Private Companies,” GGI Global Alliance, Beverly Hills, CA, June 23, 2023
Co-presenter, “Real Estate Syndications: Navigating Minefields for the Unwary,” Beverly Hills Bar Association, Virtual Seminar, February 16, 2023
Thought Leadership
Author, Client Alert: “Navigating the Latest Developments Under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA),” March 4, 2025
Author, Client Alert: “The Corporate Transparency Act Strikes Back: Beneficial Ownership Reporting Is Now Required by March 21, 2025,” February 20, 2025
Author, Client Alert: “The Corporate Transparency Act is On Hold Again,” December 27, 2024
Author, Client Alert: “The Corporate Transparency Act is Still Alive, with New Reporting Deadlines,” December 24, 2024
Author, Client Alert: “Corporate Transparency Act Blocked by Texas Federal Court,” December 10, 2024
Co-author, Client Alert: “The Corporate Transparency Act,” December 19, 2023
Author, “JOBS Act Update: SEC Misses Rulemaking Deadline, But 'The Wheels Are in Motion,” Venture Capital Journal, July 6, 2012
Author, “Be Careful, Entrepreneurs: Crowdfunding Securities Offerings Aren't Yet Legal,” Venture Capital Journal, April 29, 2012
Author of Four Part Series, Part 1: “How to Get Your 'Emerging Growth Companis' onto the IPO Fast Track,” Part 2: “The “Facebook Problem,” Secondary Market Trading and the 500 Shareholder Rule,” Part 3: “Private Placement Reform, or How the SEC Learned to Stop Worrying and Love General Solicitation,” Part 4: “Will Crowdfunding Live Up to the Hype?” Venture Capital Journal, April 23-28, 2012
Awards and Recognition
Awards and Recognition
“Legal Visionaries,” Los Angeles Times, 2023, 2025
“Top 100 Lawyers,” Los Angeles Business Journal, 2025
Leadership and Community
Member, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG)
Volunteer, Westside German Shepherd Rescue
Services
Education
J.D., UCLA School of Law
B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara
Admissions
- California
