Christopher C. Robinson is co-head of the Secondary Transactions and Liquidity Solutions practice and a partner in the Private Funds Group. Named as a 2024 private equity MVP in Law360, and as a finalist for ‘Dealmaker of the Year’ by New York Law Journal, he primarily focuses his practice on representing buyers and sellers, as well as market intermediaries, in connection with complex secondary transactions, including traditional sales and purchases of fund interests, secondary direct transactions, captive fund spin-out arrangements, fund recapitalizations and restructurings and “stapled” secondary transactions.
In addition, he regularly represents sponsors of, and institutional investors in, private investment funds, including buyout, energy, credit, mezzanine, healthcare, real estate, venture capital, special situation and secondary funds, as well as separate and other managed accounts.
Christopher has significant experience with a diverse group of private investment firms and select representative sponsor clients include Avego Healthcare Capital, Brightwood Capital Advisors, Core Capital Partners, DFW Capital Partners, FLVCRUM, Greycroft Partners, Havencrest Capital Management, Inovia Capital, LNC Partners, Melkonian Capital, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Palladium Equity Partners, RLJ Equity Partners, Skyview Capital, Spindletop Capital, SV Health Investors, WestCap and Vesey Street Capital Partners, among others.
In addition, Christopher represents some of the most active secondary investors in the market, and select representative “buy-side” clients include 50 South Capital, Apollo Global Management (Sponsor and Secondary Solutions/S3), Ares/Landmark Partners, Arrowhead Management, Atalaya Capital, BentallGreenOak (BGO), Blackstone (Strategic Partners), Churchill Asset Management, Commonfund Capital, CPP Investments (CPPIB), FlowStone Partners, Glendower Capital, Hollyport Capital, Intermediate Capital Group (ICG), J.P. Morgan, Lexington Partners, Neuberger Berman, Pantheon, Partners Group, Portfolio Advisors and W Capital, among others.
Prior to joining Proskauer, Christopher was a corporate partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
Education
- Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D.
-
Howard University, B.A.
cum laude
Admissions & Qualifications
- New York
Memberships
New York City Bar Association
Board Member, Metropolitan Golf Association
Board Member, Brick Church Day School Committee
Board Member, The Riverside Hawks Program
Awards & Recognition
Law360 MVP, 2024
Private Equity International 40 Under 40: 'Future Leaders of Private Equity' 2021
National Black Lawyers, 'Top 40 Under 40'
The Legal 500 United States: Private Equity Funds (Including Venture Capital) 2024
New York Law Journal, 'Dealmaker of the Year' 2024- Finalist
Matters
Representative matters:
Traditional LP Portfolio Secondary Transactions
- Blackstone Strategic Partners as one of the secondary buyers in the $5bn Kaiser Permanente portfolio sale named Secondaries Deal of the Year by Buyouts magazine (2024).
- Secondary buyer in connection with its acquisition of over 400 private fund interests valued at approximately $1.8bn.
- Advised secondary buyer on the sale of 69 fund interests valued at approximately $800m.
- Secondary buyer in connection with its staple commitment and acquisition of a tail end portfolio of fund interests valued at approximately $1.2bn.
- US-based pension plan in connection with its sale of a portfolio of private equity fund interests with an aggregate transaction value in excess of $1.8bn.
- Canadian pension plan in connection with its sale of a portfolio of private equity fund and co-investment interests for approximately $750m.
- Large financial institution in connection with its sale of a portfolio of over 300 private equity fund interests.
- Canadian pension plan in connection with its sale of a portfolio of private equity fund and co-investment interests for approximately $500m.
- US-based pension plan in connection with the swap of a portfolio of assets, including private equity fund interests, for annuities issued by a large US insurance company.
- Secondary buyer in connection with its acquisition of infrastructure fund interests for approximately $1.6bn, the largest infrastructure LP portfolio transaction on the secondaries market at the time.
Sponsor Representations
GP-Led Secondary Transactions
- Palladium Equity Partners on the formation of its multi-asset continuation fund.
- RockPort Capital Partners on the formation and closing of a multi-asset continuation fund.
- GEC on the formation and closing of a $215m single-asset continuation fund transaction involving one of its portfolio companies.
- Inovia Capital on the formation and closing of a $334m multi-asset continuation vehicle.
- LNC Partners on the formation of a $200m continuation fund.
- US-based fund sponsor in connection with a tender offer and “stapled” secondary transaction led by a syndicate of large secondary buyers acquiring private fund interests from a number of investors.
Buyside Representations
- Blackstone Strategic Partners as lead investor in Quinbrook’s $600m Continuation Fund.
- Apollo S3 as the lead investor in OceanSound Partners’ recently closed $1.15bn single-asset continuation vehicle.
- Atalaya Capital Management as a lead investor in connection with the sale of $2bn of private credit investments by Wells Fargo. Nominated for Secondaries Deal of the Year by PEI magazine (2023).
- Apollo S3, Blackstone Strategic Partners and Five Arrows on their investment in health care focused private equity firm BPOC’s first-ever $425m continuation fund.
- Blackstone Strategic Partners as a lead investor in Alpine Investors’ $3.4bn single asset continuation fund. Winner of Secondaries Deal of the Year by PEI magazine (2023)
- Lead investor on a $2bn investment in Hellman & Friedman’s restructuring of HFCP IX.
- Lead investors in Summit Partners’ consolidated blended restructuring of ten funds, valued at $1.7bn.
- Lead investor on an investment in Bain Capital Empire Holdings’ continuation fund, valued at $812m.
- Lead investor on a $450m single-asset continuation fund for Innovetive Petcare.
- Blackstone Strategic Partners, Hollyport, and JP Morgan as lead investors in Aterian Investment Management’s $670m continuation fund.
- Secondary buyer in connection with its acquisition of private fund interests from a number of investors through a tender offer transaction.
- Secondary buyer in connection with a preferred equity transaction and a “stapled” secondary investment.
Fund Formation
- Hollyport Capital, on the formation of Hollyport Secondary Opportunities Fund VIII2, which closed above its target of $1.5bn.
- Havencrest Capital Management, on the $356m closing of its second private equity fund.
- Represented global investment firm in forming $5.6 bn real estate fund.
- Represented global investment firm in forming $4.2bn real estate fund.
- Represented investment firm in forming $3.85bn global buyout fund.
- Advised fund sponsor in connection with the formation and fundraising of a $3.25bn investment fund, focused on private equity secondary investments.
- Advised investment firm in connection with the formation and fundraising of a $1.25bn buyout fund.
- Represented asset manager in forming $983m investment fund, focused on energy and infrastructure investments.
- Advised investment firm in forming $750m healthcare fund.
- Advised investment firm in forming $350m healthcare fund.
- Advised investment firm in forming $500m buyout fund.
- Represented lower middle-market investment firm in forming $350m mezzanine fund.
- Represented investment firm in connection with the formation and fundraising of a $300m investment fund, focused on investments in venture and expansion-stage energy technology companies.