Christian A. Atwood, P.C.

Partner Mergers & Acquisitions Private Equity

Boston +1 617 385 7434

Christian A. Atwood, P.C.

Overview

Christian ‘is a tactician with years of experience that you’d seek and expect from a firm like Kirkland, but on top of that his bedside manner is phenomenal.’ ‘He gives advice which is understandable and executable, rather than laying out what the law says.’” - Chambers USA, 2021

Christian Atwood is a corporate partner in the Boston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He is an experienced and versatile counselor, well-known and sought out for his commercial acumen, creativity and bedside manner. Christian and his team represent private equity funds, private companies and public companies in a wide variety of complex and strategically important business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts and restructurings. Christian also advises private equity funds in growth equity investments, late-stage venture capital financings and the management of portfolio company investments, including with respect to debt and equity financings, add-on acquisitions, recapitalizations and other liquidity events. In select circumstances, Christian and his team represent entrepreneurs and family offices who find themselves across the table from, or co-investing with, private equity funds, to provide counsel as to “market” terms and best practices in private equity-related structures and shareholder arrangements.

Christian has experience across many industries, including technology, software, healthcare, industrials, manufacturing, financial services, consumer and retail. Clients include Apollo, Clearhaven Partners, General Catalyst, Great Hill Partners, GreyLion, Silversmith Capital, Vista Equity Partners and Windjammer Capital.

Christian is listed in Chambers USA and The Legal 500 U.S. as a leading M&A lawyer in the field of private equity buyouts.

Recently, Christian has been involved in the following representations:

  • Vista Equity Partners:
    • Acquisition of Amtech Software, a provider of enterprise software for the packaging industry, from Peak Rock Capital
    • Acquisition of JAGGAER, a provider of enterprise procurement and supplier collaboration software solutions
    • Growth investment in TRG Screen, a provider of enterprise subscription spend and usage management software, TRG Screen’s subsequent acquisitions of Crizit and Xpansion
    • $4.6 billion sale of Apptio, a provider of financial and operational IT management and optimization software, to IBM (NYSE: IBM)
    • $1 billion plus growth investment in Securonix, a provider of next-gen security information and event management and extended detection and response
  • Great Hill Partners:
    • Recapitalization of Vision Government Solutions, a provider of appraisal, computer-assisted mass appraisal and property tax software solutions
    • Portfolio company Paytronix, a provider of guest engagement software  for restaurants and convenience stores, in its sale to The Access Group
    • $55 million investment in eloomi A/S, a provider of learning experience platform software, and its subsequent sale to Ceridian
    • Growth investment in Fusion Risk Management, a provider of cloud-based operational resilience, business continuity  and risk management software and services
    • Recapitalization of Evolve IP and growth equity investment in Mission*
  • Silversmith Capital:
    • $135 million growth investment in Talon.One, a provider of enterprise loyalty and promotion software
    • Investment in Rentsync, a provider of software serving the rental housing industry
    • $40 million investment in Novatus Global, a provider of regulatory technology solutions to financial institutions
    • Growth investment in Ascend Analytics, a provider of  energy transition analytics solutions
    • $104 million growth investment in Impel, a provider of digital engagement software for automotive manufacturers, marketplaces and dealers
    • Growth investment in Proven Optics, a provider of Financial Management software
    • $50 million growth equity investment in GiveCampus, a fundraising platform for nonprofit educational institutions
    • Acquisition of JETNET, a provider of aviation data and market intelligence
    • $55 million growth investment in Gearset, a DevOps solutions provider for Salesforce
    • Growth investment in AppHub, and AppHub’s subsequent acquisitions of Boost, Xpansion and REVIEWS.io, among others, and its investment from PSG
    • $140 million Series B and $120 million Series C rounds of financing of Webflow
    • $425 million investment, alongside returning investor PSG, in Formstack, a workplace productivity platform
    • $125 million acquisition of TMA Systems, a provider of advanced Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), and TMA Systems' subsequent acquisitions of Virtual Facility and MEX
    • $69 million investment in Zonos, a technology provider for cross-border commerce
    • $55 million Series A and $25 million Series B rounds of financing of Constructor, a provider of eCommerce search and product discovery solutions
    • Investment in DistroKid, a distributor of independent music, and subsequent $1.3 billion sale to Insight Partners
    • $60 million investment in BlinkReceipt, a provider of AI-powered computer vision software
    • $33 million Series C investment in Venminder, a provider of third-party risk management solutions
    • $100 million growth investment in Within3, an enterprise-wide solution for life science collaboration and communication
    • Strategic investment in Appfire Technologies and Appfire’s subsequent acquisitions of 7pace, Arsenale, and Comalatech, among others
    • Silversmith Capital Partners in connection with numerous deals, including the leveraged recapitalization of Digital Map Products and subsequent bolt-on acquisitions, and the acquisition of Swift Prepaid Solutions (in partnership with Bain Capital Ventures)*
  • General Catalyst:
    • In connection with Petershill's sale of the majority of its stake in General Catalyst
    • Commercial partnership with Amazon Web Services,  a provider of cloud computing services
    • Portfolio company HATCo in its $485 million acquisition of Summa Health, an integrated healthcare delivery system
    • Portfolio company Commure in its $139 million acquisition of Augmedix, a provider of ambient AI medical documentation and solutions
    • Combination with Venture Highway, a venture capital firm
    • As lead investor in a $102 million growth equity financing of Bugcrowd, a provider of AI-powered crowdsourced cybersecurity solutions
    • Combination with La Famiglia, a seed and growth stage venture capital fund
    • $412 million growth equity financing of SonarSource, a platform for clean code
  • Clearhaven Partners:
    • Acquisition of Zixi, a provider of the Software-Defined Video Platform (SDVP) and live video transport over internet protocol networks
    • Acquisition of Korbyt, a provider of workplace communications, intelligent content management and digital signage solutions
    • $100 million plus investment in SundaySky, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for video creation and personalization
    • Acquisition of PhotoShelter, a provider of digital asset management (DAM) software for organizations and creative professionals, and PhotoShelter’s subsequent acquisition of Third Light
    • Acquisition of Engageware (formerly known as TimeTrade Systems), and Engageware’s subsequent acquisition of SilverCloud
  • Windjammer Capital Investors:
    • Portfolio company Paragon Energy Solutions, a provider of engineered solutions to the nuclear power industry, in its $585 million sale to Mirion
    • Acquisition of Bio X Cell, a provider of monoclonal antibodies for use in both in vivo and in vitro pre-clinical research applications
    • Acquisition of Hermetic Solutions Group, a provider of electronic solutions for electronic signal generation and transmission, from ShoreView Industries and subsequent sale to Qnnect
    • Acquisition of Radix Wire & Cable, a manufacturer of specialty wires and cables serving the niche high temperature and fire protection markets
    • Acquisition of Fecon, a manufacturer of mulching attachments, parts and carriers used for vegetation and land management, from LFM Capital
    • Portfolio company RegO, a manufacturer of gas and liquid pressure controls, pressure regulating products, pressure relief devices  and ancillary equipment, in its $631 million sale to Dover Corp.
    • Acquisition of IPS Group, a developer of parking management software
    • Acquisition of Engineered Controls International and ensuing $631 million sale to Dover Corp. (NYSE: DOV)
    • Acquisition of Advanced Instruments and later sale to Patricia Industries, Inc., a part of Investor AB
    • Acquisition of Paragon Energy Solutions from Argosy Capital
    • Acquisition of Hilco Vision from Blue Point Capital Partners
    • Windjammer Capital Investors in numerous deals, including the acquisition of Component Hardware Group, Heritage Foodservice Group, Engineered Controls International, Protective Industries (acquired by Berwind), McKenzie Sports (acquired by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners), Rotex Global (acquired by Hillenbrand (NYSE: HI)) and ST Specialty Foods (acquired by Treehouse Foods (NYSE: THS))*
  • Guidepost Growth Equity:
    • As lead investor in the $70 million Series C funding of dscout, an experience research technology platform
    • As lead investor in a $150 million funding round for Atheneum, a B2B Research Technology (ResTech) platform
  • L Catterton-led consortium in its acquisition of Truck Hero, Inc.
  • Nordic Capital in its strategic minority investment by Ottawa Avenue Private Capital
  • Siris Capital Group in the strategic minority investment by affiliates of Wafra Inc. and Landmark Partners, LLC
  • Harvest Partners, L.P. in its strategic minority investment by Goldman Sachs Asset Management
  • VetCor management in a recapitalization led by Oak Hill Capital Partners, Harvest Partners and Cressey & Company
  • Francisco Partners in its strategic minority investment by Blackstone and Goldman Sachs Asset Management
  • Palladium Equity Partners, LLC in its investment in partnership with the owners of Spice World, Inc.
  • OmniClaim, a healthcare cost containment and payment integrity solutions provider, in its sale to Equian, a portfolio company of New Mountain Capital

Choate Hall & Stewart LLP

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Thought Leadership

Publications

Quoted, “Choate Hall & Stewart, On The Private Equity Middle-Market: Competition, Fee Pressure And China,” Forbes, November 2017.

Quoted, “PE predictions: fundraising apace, small-business boost, tax changes,” Buyouts Magazine, January 2017.

Quoted, “U.S. LBO volume rises 9 pct while M&A drops 19 pct,” Buyouts Magazine, December 2016.

Quoted, “Investment bank ‘books’ get shorter as M&A evolves,” PE Hub Network, October 2016.

Featured, “Rainmaker Q&A: Choate's Christian Atwood,” Law360, October 2016.

Quoted, “Be your own boss? Read this first,” The Deal, February 2016.

Featured, “Dealmakers Q&A: Choate Hall's Christian Atwood,” Private Equity Law360, August 2014.

Co-author, “Plan Ahead to Avoid Fateful Mishandling of Succession,” Buyouts Magazine, October 2011.

Author, “Dealmaking Outlook for 2011,” The ACG Boston Newsletter, January 2011.

Co-author, “Negotiating Sell-Side Engagement Letters,” Buyouts Magazine, August 2010.

Author, “Creative Approaches to Financing Private Company M&A in a Brave New(unlevered) World,” Dealing with M&A Financing and Risk in a Changing Market: Leading Lawyers on Understanding Client Motivations, Assessing Risk, and Handling Mergers and Acquisitions in a Changing Market (Inside the Minds), January 2010.

Co-author, “Three Indemnification Traps for Buyers to Avoid,” Buyouts Magazine, April 2009.

Seminars

Guest Lecturer, Course: “Transactional Practicum: Deals," University of Maine School of Law, April 2019.

Guest Lecturer, Course: “Transactional Practicum: Deals," University of Maine School of Law, April 2018.

Moderator, “State of Private Equity (PE) Panel,” Harvard Business School's Venture Capital and Private Equity Club Conference, January 2018.

Moderator, “Industry Drill Down: Healthcare, Life Sciences and Technology,” Thomson Reuters' Northeastern M&A/Private Equity Forum, December 2013.

Moderator, “Energy Panel,” MIT Sloan Private Equity Symposium, April 2013.

Recognition

Christian and his wife (a veterinarian) are active supporters of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and The Angell Animal Medical Center, both located in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood.

Memberships & Affiliations

Member, Boston Bar Association

Member, American Bar Association

Member, ABA’s Mergers and Acquisitions Committee

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2002Massachusetts

Education

  • University of Virginia School of LawJ.D.2001
  • Dartmouth CollegeA.B.1998