36

Christine M. O'Connor

Partner
  • Rochester
  • 585.231.1337
  •   •     •     •  

Christine’s practice concentrates on private equity, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts, telecommunications and general corporate matters. Her clients include private equity funds, private equity-backed companies, venture capital funds, fundless sponsors, family offices, individual investors, start-ups and strategic buyers, sellers and investors. Christine is well‐versed in the financial services, software and tech,
telecommunications, manufacturing and product distribution industries.

Her extensive experience includes:

  • Leveraged buyout transactions, including portfolio company acquisitions and dispositions, senior, mezzanine, equity and seller financings, management employment and equity compensation arrangements, recapitalizations and portfolio company add‐on acquisitions.
  • Representing venture capital funds, fundless sponsors, family offices and individual investors in connection with convertible note, common stock and preferred stock financings.
  • Guiding start-ups from formation to exit and extensive experience in corporate clean‐up and corporate reorganization.
  • Representing start-ups and strategic buyers, sellers and investors in a wide range of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts, venture capital financings, regulatory filings with the New York State Public Service Commission and commercial contracts.

Prior to joining Harter Secrest & Emery, Christine worked for the Cleveland, Ohio office of Jones Day.

PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC AFFILIATIONS

  • Chair of the Board of Directors, South East Area Coalition
  • Member, Monroe County Bar Association
  • CLE Co‐Chair, Mergers & Acquisitions Seminar, June 2015
  • Co‐Chair, Capital Strategies and Exit Planning for Successful Businesses Seminar, March 2015
  • CLE Chair, Nuts & Bolts‐Evolution of a Business Seminar, May 2012

HONORS & AWARDS

  • Recognized by Chambers USA from 2016-2018 in the field of Corporate/M&A
  • Named to the Chambers USA “Associates to Watch” List, 2016-2018
  • Recipient, “Forty Under 40” Award, Rochester Business Journal, 2017
  • Recipient, “Up and Coming Attorneys” Award, The Daily Record, 2017
  • AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale‐Hubbell
  • Selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, 2017-2018
  • Vanderbilt University Law School
    • Phi Beta Kappa
    • Notes Editor, Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

PRESENTATIONS

  • “Steps to Start a New Business,” Eyes on the Future Radio Show, Greater Rochester Enterprise, January 2017
  • CLE Speaker, “Indemnification in Mergers and Acquisitions,” December 2012
  • CLE Speaker, “Escrow Services: Protecting Clients, Mitigating Risk,” February 2012

PRACTICE AREAS

ADMISSIONS

  • New York

CLERKSHIP

  • Judicial Extern to the Honorable Aleta Trauger, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee
  • Judicial Extern to the Honorable David Alan Ezra, U.S. District Court, District of Hawaii

EDUCATION

  • Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D., Honors Scholar
  • Carnegie Mellon University, B.S., Chemistry, with high honors
HSE Law
36
Christine M. O'Connor
Partner
coconnor@hselaw.com
tel: 585.231.1337
fax: 585.232.2152

Christine’s practice concentrates on private equity, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts, telecommunications and general corporate matters. Her clients include private equity funds, private equity-backed companies, venture capital funds, fundless sponsors, family offices, individual investors, start-ups and strategic buyers, sellers and investors. Christine is well‐versed in the financial services, software and tech,
telecommunications, manufacturing and product distribution industries.

Her extensive experience includes:

  • Leveraged buyout transactions, including portfolio company acquisitions and dispositions, senior, mezzanine, equity and seller financings, management employment and equity compensation arrangements, recapitalizations and portfolio company add‐on acquisitions.
  • Representing venture capital funds, fundless sponsors, family offices and individual investors in connection with convertible note, common stock and preferred stock financings.
  • Guiding start-ups from formation to exit and extensive experience in corporate clean‐up and corporate reorganization.
  • Representing start-ups and strategic buyers, sellers and investors in a wide range of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts, venture capital financings, regulatory filings with the New York State Public Service Commission and commercial contracts.

Prior to joining Harter Secrest & Emery, Christine worked for the Cleveland, Ohio office of Jones Day.

Professional & Civic Affiliations

  • Chair of the Board of Directors, South East Area Coalition
  • Member, Monroe County Bar Association
  • CLE Co‐Chair, Mergers & Acquisitions Seminar, June 2015
  • Co‐Chair, Capital Strategies and Exit Planning for Successful Businesses Seminar, March 2015
  • CLE Chair, Nuts & Bolts‐Evolution of a Business Seminar, May 2012

Honors & Awards

  • Recognized by Chambers USA from 2016-2018 in the field of Corporate/M&A
  • Named to the Chambers USA “Associates to Watch” List, 2016-2018
  • Recipient, “Forty Under 40” Award, Rochester Business Journal, 2017
  • Recipient, “Up and Coming Attorneys” Award, The Daily Record, 2017
  • AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale‐Hubbell
  • Selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, 2017-2018
  • Vanderbilt University Law School
    • Phi Beta Kappa
    • Notes Editor, Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Presentations

  • “Steps to Start a New Business,” Eyes on the Future Radio Show, Greater Rochester Enterprise, January 2017
  • CLE Speaker, “Indemnification in Mergers and Acquisitions,” December 2012
  • CLE Speaker, “Escrow Services: Protecting Clients, Mitigating Risk,” February 2012

Admissions

  • New York

Clerkship

  • Judicial Extern to the Honorable Aleta Trauger, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee
  • Judicial Extern to the Honorable David Alan Ezra, U.S. District Court, District of Hawaii

Education

  • Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D., Honors Scholar
  • Carnegie Mellon University, B.S., Chemistry, with high honors

Disclaimer

This website presents only general information not intended as legal advice. Although we encourage calls, letters and emails from prospective clients, please keep in mind that merely contacting Harter Secrest & Emery LLP (HSE) does not establish an attorney-client relationship between us. Confidential information should not be sent to HSE until you have been notified in writing by HSE that a formal attorney-client relationship has been established. Information sent to us before then may not be treated as confidential by HSE or the court.

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