Mr. Chris Covington

Throughout his thirty year career Chris has been focused on assisting key executives in building their businesses, and often on preparing for and subsequently executing their liquidity event, the sale of their company, raising capital, or an IPO. As a consequence, he has developed particular expertise in Corporate and Transactional matters, Mergers and Acquisitions and with providing General Counsel Services to a wide range of business clients.

Chris has represented individual executives, sole proprietorships and Fortune 500 companies. His clients have been both public and privately held, and have included LLCs and limited and general partnerships. Most clients have been from technology or technology-related service industries, but have also come from manufacturing, distribution, and retail sales.

Chris genuinely enjoys helping business owners and executives solve problems and capitalize on opportunities, and his understanding of the financial consequences of critical legal decisions gives him a key advantage in providing financially astute legal advice and pragmatic, cost-effective legal services.

California

Since 1981

Attorney

Covington Business Law

2009 - Current

Law firm focused on providing business transaction services, in particular for M&A, and outside "General Counsel" services, including securities, compliance, governance, advising Boards of Directors and Committees, corporate formations, financings, licensing and distribution agreements, standardized customer contracts, employment agreements and terminations, real estate leases, and litigation management.

Principal

Martin Wolf Securities

2004 - Current

Investment Banking boutique providing M&A advisory services to technology companies. Provided General Counsel services as well as investment banking services. A FINRA registered broker with series 7, 63, 24 and 27 licenses.

Senior Assistant General Counsel

Wal-Mart

2003 - 2004

Responsible for managing all legal services for the Wal-Mart Global Procurement Division, with 28 offices wordwide and $15+ Billion in procurement.

Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary

Interland

2000 - 2001

Created legal department and managed IPO for this NASDAQ company which offered internet infrastructure services, including web and applications hosting. Also structured, negotiated and documented strategic partnerships and alliances with key technology industry partners, including Microsoft, Verisign, Verizon, WorldCom and Micron.

Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary

Vanstar (fka Computerland)

1990 - 1999

Vanstar was a $2.7 Billion, 7,000 employee NYSE seller of computer products and services to Fortune 1000 companies. A member of the executive management team, the primary liaison to the Board of Directors, with key responsibilities for the company's NYSE IPO (1994) and its sale in 1999. Substantially reorganized legal department and managed move from the San Francisco Bay Area to Atlanta, Georgia. Also primarily responsible for additional capital raising transactions (preferred stock offering, accounts receivable securitization) and management of litigation worldwide. Managed acquisition program which resulted in over 25 acquisitions and a growth of $1 Billion in sales. Negotiated and managed documentation of key strategic relationships with Microsoft, Computer Associates, IBM, HP-Compaq, Inacom and Merisel.

Partner

Hardin Cook Loper Engel & Bergez

1983 - 1990

Partner, specializing in business transactions, in 40 attorney San Francisco Bay Area law firm. Key responsibilities for mergers and acquisitions; corporate formations, reorganizations, securities laws compliance, secured transactions and miscellaneous commercial transactions. Significant litigation experience, including discovery, motions and appeals.

Captain, Air Defense Artillery

U.S. Army

1972 - 1976

Platoon leader and Executive Officer of HAWK Battery in Germany; Battalion Assistant Operations Officer (S-3) at Homestead AFB, Florida.

University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law

J.D. | LL.M. (1981), Law & Business and Taxation - Transnational Practice

1977 - 1980

University of California - Santa Barbara

B.A. | Political Science

1967 - 1971