Christopher James

Christopher James has enjoyed a commercial business transaction and litigation practice since 1974. In the last ten years, his transaction practice has focused on mergers and acquisitions, strategic combinations and recapitalizations. Mr. James's litigation practice developed a focus on complex business torts (antitrust, securities, fiduciary duty).

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

In his practice, Mr. James has been general counsel to various organizations and companies, including: a national restaurant group; the nation's largest regional technology trade show producer; a leading Northwest beverage distributor; a leading regional information technology consulting group; the Northwest's largest utility equipment manufacturer; and its largest wallboard supplier.

Mr. James has extensive merger and acquisition experience. He has successfully sold many of the companies he counseled from formation. Mr. James has represented the owners of businesses that were sold to publicly traded companies in a variety of industries, including restaurants, Information Technology consulting, beverage distribution, event production, entertainment, clothing, and agriculture.

Mr. James has represented numerous business owners and managers in the negotiation of management compensation and severance agreements, stock options, non-competition agreements, exit agreements, Board and Committee formations, shareholder agreements, and deferred compensation arrangements.

Mr. James has conducted complex litigation in state and federal courts. His concentrated areas of litigation include contract and business agreements, real estate, lender liability, construction, financing, employment, antitrust and securities.

Mr. James was lead counsel in significant litigation that: determined the statute of limitations applicable to real estate quiet title actions in Oregon; established ownership of the common facilities of a large destination resort; and vacated a $16 million default judgment taken against a NYSE-listed corporation based upon the plaintiff's fraud in securing the judgment. Mr. James successfully negotiated shareholder and fiduciary rights and obligations on behalf of the copersonal representative and co-trustee of one of the largest charitable foundations in Oregon.

Mr. James represented numerous real estate developers in the acquisition, financing, development, valuing, and sale of real property.

Mr. James represented companies in the development of their innovative products, including collaborations with a world leading product innovation company.

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

Oregon State University Austin Family Business Conference, Featured Speaker, "Business Valuations"

MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS

Oregon State Bar, member, 1974
U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, 1974
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1983
Multnomah Bar Association, member
American Bar Association, member
Oregon State Bar Unlawful Practice of Law Committee, member and chairman
Oregon State Bar Future of the Legal Profession Committee, member
Board of Directors, Oregon Psychoanalytic Center
Board of Directors, Family Foundation
President and Trustee, Delta Sigma Housing Corporation and Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, University of Oregon, 1995-1999
Multnomah Athletic Club, member