Practice Areas
Education
- University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., 2012
- University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, Certificate in Business and Public Policy, 2012
- Saint Peter’s University, B.A., 2009, summa cum laude
Bar & Court Admissions
Chris is an associate in the Vorys Akron and Vorys Cleveland offices and a member of the corporate group. He focuses his practice on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate reorganizations and other areas of corporate law. Chris has represented both public and private companies across a range of industries, including retail, media, entertainment, sports, real estate, consumer products and technology on corporate law and corporate governance issues. Chris has experience representing a number of private equity firms and financial investors in leveraged buyouts, investments, dispositions and day-to-day portfolio company management.
Chris has represented diverse clients in a range of high-profile corporate matters. His experience includes representing:
- A private equity firm in its acquisition of a wholesale distribution business.
- A privately held generic pharmaceutical manufacture in its prospective $8 billion sale to an international pharmaceutical company.
- A private equity firm in its sale of an organic products manufacture to an international consumer goods company.
- A recreational vehicle, parts, and services company in its UP-C initial public offering of $32.6 million of common stock on the NYSE.
- An early growth enterprise data masking software technology company in its sale to a “unicorn” private data management and infrastructure company.
- The official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States in their hosting of a 2016 international men's soccer tournament.
- A private equity firm in its potential $367 million acquisition of a waste disposal, storage and treatment facility.
- A private equity firm in its $2.1 billion joint venture acquisition of four power plants from a public electric utility.
- A private equity firm in its $800 million joint venture acquisition of a petroleum refining company.
- A private equity firm in its $100 million acquisition of certain wind assets.
- An energy services and delivery company in its acquisition of a diversified energy delivery company and the subsequent formation and initial public offering, on the NYSE, of a diversified energy and utility company with $30 billion in assets.
- A privately held logistics company in its prospective $350 million sale to a family-owned transportation company.
- A public company in its $2 billion acquisition of an American group of specialty apparel retail chain stores for women.
- A US-based hedge fund in connection with its £14 million purchase of a shopping center in the United Kingdom.
- An international pharmaceutical and chemical company in connection with its $270 million acquisition of a manufacturing facility in the United States
- A private equity firm in its $37 million acquisition of an asset-light automotive logistics technology company.
- A global financial information and services company in its $18 million sale of a secure open messaging platform to a technology company.
- An ultra-high net worth individual in his creation and funding of an intellectual property joint venture with a world-renowned professional athlete.
- A Fortune 500 health care products company in connection with its global reorganization.
- A privately held European gene therapy company in its acquisition of certain American-held neurobiologic assets.
- An East Coast university hospital system in connection with its acquisition of several physician practices and health care facilities as part of a statewide roll-up strategy.
Chris received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was a senior editor of the Journal of Constitutional Law. During law school, he earned a business and public policy certificate from the Wharton School of Business. Chris received his B.A. summa cum laude from Saint Peter’s University.
Before joining Vorys, Chris worked as a corporate associate at Latham & Watkins LLP in New York.
Professional and Community Activities
- Youngstown Air Reserve Base Community Council, 2018 – Present
- Saint Peter’s University Board of Regents, Member, 2015 – 2018
- Saint Peter’s University Board of Trustees, Member, 2009 – 2010
Honors & Awards
- Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2021
News
- 12/17/2020Vorys is pleased to announce that 31 attorneys from the firm have been named 2021 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/20/2020One hundred and twelve lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2021 edition. In addition, 26 Vorys attorneys were named to the inaugural Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 1/11/2019Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP announced today that Christopher J. DePizzo has joined the firm’s corporate group and will work out of its Akron and Cleveland offices.
Events
- 7/9/2020In this Vorys On Call: Coronavirus webinar, Vorys attorneys presented the most timely and relevant topics as businesses and organizations respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 5/7/2020In this eighth weekly edition of our weekly COVID-19 webinar, Vorys attorneys continued to focus on the legal and business issues related to the return to the workplace.
- 4/30/2020In this edition of our weekly COVID-19 webinar, Vorys attorneys again focused their remarks solely on the legal and business issues related to the eventual return to the workplace.
- 4/16/2020The fifth installment of Vorys' multi-disciplinary webinar series on the various business and legal implications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) took place on Thursday, April 16, 2020.
Insights
- 12/27/2020Late on December 27, the President signed a $900 billion relief package that will provide aid to individuals and businesses still struggling with the economic impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both the House and the Senate passed the proposal last week.
- 5/5/2020
- 4/27/2020On April 24, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released its fourth Interim Final Rule titled “Business Loan Program Temporary Changes: Paycheck Protection Program – Requirements – Promissory Notes, Authorizations, Affiliation, and Eligibility."
- 4/23/2020Following weeks of negotiations, today Congress passed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act providing a relief from the widespread economic injury caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- 4/10/2020The Federal Reserve has continually promised to use its full range of tools to support the flow of credit to households and businesses to counter the economic impact of COVID-19 and to promote a swift economic recovery.
- 4/1/2020In addition to the CARES Act, a number of states have enacted legislation, implemented relief programs, or made available state resources to further assist businesses in combating mounting economic hardships. This alert summarizes the state-specific relief efforts in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
- 3/30/2020In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 197 into law on March 27, 2020, a bill that had passed unanimously in the Ohio General Assembly.
- 3/30/2020This alert provides answers to some of the preliminary questions private equity, family office, fundless sponsor and venture capital firms, along with their portfolio companies, might be asking as they consider applying for a loan under the Small Business Act to create the Paycheck Protection Program.
- 3/26/2020Following days of often tense negotiations, the United States Senate has passed the third phase of federal coronavirus relief legislation, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act), which will provide $2 trillion in economic aid to individuals and businesses impacted by the coronavirus public health emergency.
- 3/20/2020Since the first known case of COVID-19 in the United States was discovered in late January, the federal government has taken several steps to both fight the spread of the disease and blunt its economic impact on the American economy.