Christopher Butler, P.C.
Overview
Christopher Butler is a nationally recognized corporate partner who concentrates his practice in the area of debt financing transactions with an emphasis on acquisitions and highly leveraged financings. He represents private equity groups, private and public companies and lending institutions across a broad spectrum of industries. He also represents debtors in loan workouts and restructurings, including debtor-in-possession and exit financings. The transactions that Chris has led include major leveraged buyouts, cross border transactions, recapitalizations, refinancings and workouts involving senior, asset based, subordinated, bridge and mezzanine facilities, both secured and unsecured, and have ranged in size from several millions of dollars to billions of dollars.
Chris is consistently recognized as a leading lawyer in several national and international publications. He is recognized as one of the World’s Leading Lawyers in banking and finance by Chambers Global, as one of America’s Leading Lawyers in leveraged finance matters by Chambers USA, as a Leading Lawyer by IFLR1000 in bank lending, The Legal 500 U.S. in bank lending, and by his peers as a “Leading Lawyer” in finance matters by Leading Lawyers Network and a “Super Lawyer” by Illinois Super Lawyer publications. Chambers Global describes Chris as “an established figure in the market [who] draws praise for his negotiation skills and level-headed approach to matters.”; “clients appreciate that “he misses nothing; he is extremely thorough and nothing slips through the cracks”. The Legal 500 noted that he is “tremendous at handling large, complex syndicated loans.”
Chris is an active member of multiple committees of the Firm.
Experience
Representative Matters
GTCR
- First lien and second lien credit facilities in connection with GTCR and Sycamore Partners’ acquisition of CommerceHub
- Multibillion dollar credit facility for Cision, Inc. in connection with its merger with Capitol Acquisition Corp. III
- Senior secured term loan and revolver in connection with Cision’s acquisition of PR Newswire
- First and second lien credit facility in connection with acquisition of Albany Molecular Research, Inc. by GTCR and Carlyle Partners
- Senior secured credit facility in connection with GTCR’s acquisition of Northland Telecommunications Corporation
- First and second lien credit facilities in connection with GTCR’s acquisition and subsequent refinancings of Camp Systems
- First and second lien credit facilities in connection with GTCR’s acquisition of Transaction Data Systems, Inc.
- Senior secured credit facilities in connection with GTCR’s acquisition of Fundtech
- First and second lien credit facilities in connection with merger of Regatta Medical Holdings, LLC with Resonetics Holding Corp.
- Senior secured credit facility for leveraged recapitalization of Sorenson Communications, Inc
- GTCR in connection with the financing for its recapitalization of Jet Support Services, Inc.
Summit Partners
- Senior secured term and revolving facility in connection with acquisition of HealthSun by Summit Partners
- Senior secured term loan and revolving credit facility in connection with Summit Partners’ investment in FineLine Holding, Inc.
- Senior secured term loan facility provided by Summit Credit Partners for NCB Management Services, Inc.
- Senior secured credit facilities and subordinated note facility in connection with Summit Partners’ acquisition of Teaching Strategies, LLC
- Senior secured term loan in connection with Summit Partners’ investment in Trintech Group Ltd.
- Revolving credit facility in connection with acquisition of Metro Tech Holdings by Summit Partners
- Senior secured credit facilities and subsequent additional incremental term loan in connection with Summit Partners’ investment in Morphe, LLC by Elevate Brandpartners, Inc.
- Revolving credit facility and subordinated note purchase in connection with Summit Partners’ investment in Freedom Healthcare of America, LLC
- Senior secured credit facility in connection with Summit Partners’ investment in Ascentis Corporation
- Senior secured credit facility in connection with Summit Partners’ investment in Healthline Media, Inc.
- Senior secured financing in connection with Summit Partners’ investment in City Practice Group USA, LLC
- Senior secured financing and subordinated note financing in connection with Summit Partners’ investment in Salient Partners, L.P.
Vestar Capital Partners
- Billion dollar first lien and second lien credit facilities in connection with Vestar Capital’s acquisition of IRI Holdings, Inc.
- Senior secured credit facility in connection with Vestar Capital’s acquisition of Woodstream Corporation
- Senior secured credit facilities and refinancing of existing first and second lien facilities for Spotless Holdings Corp.
- Senior secured financing in connection with Vestar Capital’s acquisition of Mobile Technologies
- Senior secured credit facility in connection with Vestar Capital’s acquisition of Clearwater Analytics, LLC
- Senior secured credit facility and subordinated debt financing in connection with Vestar’s acquisition of Roland Foods Corporation
- Senior secured financing in connection with Vestar Capital Partners’ investment in MediMedia USA, Inc.
- Debtor-in-possession financing for 21st Century Oncology, Inc.
TDR Capital
- $6.6 billion combination of WillScot and Mobile Mini, Inc.
- Senior secured ABL revolving credit facility for Algeco US Holdings
- Second lien credit facilities in connection with TDR’s investment in EG Finco Ltd.
- Billion dollar senior secured ABL revolving credit facility for Williams Scotsman Inc.
- Margin loan facility in connection with TDR’s investment in Sapphire Holdings
Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
- Senior secured credit facilities in connection with WSAC’s acquisition of Service Net Solutions
- Senior secured credit facilities in connection with WSAC’s acquisition of Avetta, LLC
- Senior secured credit facilities in connection with WCAS’s acquisition of Consumer Safety Technology
- Unitranche financing in connection with WCAS’s acquisition of QuickBase Solutions
Golden Gate Capital
- Multibillion credit facility for Micro Focus International plc in connection with its acquisition of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s software business
- Multibillion senior secured financing in connection with Micro Focus plc’s acquisition of The Attachmate Group
- Multibillion dollar and multicurrency senior secured credit facilities and bridge facilities in connection with financing multiple tender offers in several international jurisdictions by Infor software company
- Multibillion senior secured financing and unsecured bridge loan facilities in connection with the acquisition of BMC Software by Bain Capital and Golden Gate Capital
Greenbriar Equity Group
- Senior secured financing in connection with Greenbriar Equity Group’s acquisition of Lazer Spot, Inc.
- Senior secured financing in connection with Greenbriar Equity Group’s acquisition of Muth Mirror Systems, LLC
- Senior secured financing in connection with Greenbriar Equity Group’s acquisition of Ryan Herco
- Senior secured financing in connection with Greenbriar Equity Group’s acquisition of EDAC
Parthenon Capital
- First lien and second lien credit facilities in connection with Parthenon Capital’s acquisition of Oasis Financial Service
- Senior secured credit facility in connection with Parthenon’s investment in Coastal Credit, LLC
- Senior secured dividend recapitalization financing in connection with Parthenon Capital Partners’ investment in H.D. Vest
Casino Financings
- Rivers Casinos and Lamb Partners in connection with the financing and construction of a new casino in Portsmouth, Virginia
- Project construction loan and EB-5 loan in connection with development of casino for LAMB Partners
- Senior term and revolving credit facility for Midwest Gaming
- First lien revolving credit agreement and senior secured notes for Sugarhouse Casino
- Senior secured financing for Pittsburgh Gaming
Other Corporate Matters
- Senior secured term loan for AssuredPartners in relation to general corporate purposes
- Unitranche financing for Point Broadband in connection to its acquisition of Point Broadband Fiber Holding
- Senior secured term loan in connection with Bansk Group’s acquisition of Arcadia Consumer Healthcare
- Senior secured term loan in connection with True Commerce acquisition of DiCentral
- Refinancing of senior secured term loan and revolver for Sage Payment Solutions
- Senior secured term loan and revolver for Gogo Inc.
- Conyers Park II Acquisition Corp. in its $5.2 billion combination with Advantage Solutions Inc.
- The Simply Good Foods Company in its pending $1 billion acquisition of Quest Nutrition, LLC
- Multibillion financing for Molson Coors Brewing Co.’s acquisition of SABMiller plc’s interest in MillerCoors joint venture
- Multibillion dollar term and revolving credit facility for Molson Coors and refinancings thereof
- Senior secured loan by Centerbridge Partners to Swissport Global Services Holdings
- Senior secured term and revolving facility in connection with Conyers Park’s acquisition of Atkins Nutritionals
- Second lien and preferred equity investment by Elliott in connection with providing financing for Francisco Partners’ acquisition of Dell software business
- Senior secured credit facility in connection with Irving Place Capital’s acquisition of Pet Supplies Plus
- Senior secured credit and subordinated notes in connection with Irving Place Capital’s acquisition of Bendon, Inc.
- Senior secured credit facility in connection with Mountaingate Management’s acquisition of Technology Partners, Inc.
- Senior secured term and ABL credit facilities in connection with recapitalization and refinancing for Roundy's Supermarkets
- Senior secured credit in connection with ICCNexergy’s (a KRG portfolio company) acquisition of Palladium Energy
- Senior secured revolving credit for Serena & Lily, Inc.
- Secured loan for Ole Smoky Distillery, LLC
More
Thought Leadership
Seminars
Instructor, “Developing Private Equity Practice Skills”, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Spring 2018
Memberships & Affiliations
Member of American Bar Association Section of Business Law
Member of Illinois and New York State Bar Associations
Member of Chicago Bar Association
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- 1989New York
- 1998Illinois
Education
- Fordham University School of LawJ.D.1988
- University of PennsylvaniaB.A., Philosophy1984