Professionals

Chris Ferazzi is the leader of Porter Hedges' Corporate Practice. He is involved in a broad array of corporate securities and merger and acquisition transactions. Mr. Ferazzi's experience includes private and public offerings of debt and equity securities, private equity and venture capital transactions, acquisitions and sales of private and public companies, SEC reporting and compliance, formation and structuring of startup ventures and preparation and negotiations of executive employment agreements and related compensation issues. His clients serve a wide range of industries including oil and gas exploration, oil field service, private equity, outpatient physical therapy, investment banking, manufacturing and distributing, commercial engineering and architecture, waste management and recycling, apparel, biotech, internet content, internet trading exchanges and computer software, hardware and consulting.

Mr. Ferazzi has been recognized as a "Leader in the Field" of corporate and M&A law in Texas by Chambers USA in both 2010 and 2011. Prior to joining Porter Hedges, Mr. Ferazzi practiced tax and corporate law at Hutcheson & Grundy, LLP. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Ferazzi worked as an accountant for Texaco and then as tax director for Baker Packers, a division of Baker-Hughes. He became a certified public accountant in 1990 (currently non-practicing).

• Represented UK based FrontierMEDEX that produces medical, security and safety solutions in its acquisition of MEDEX Group, Inc. and subsequently served as special U.S. counsel in FrontierMEDEX's sale to United Healthcare.
• Represented private equity firm, MML Capital Partners, in the sale of TNT Crane and Rigging Inc. to Odyssey Investment Partners Inc.
• Represented The Situs Companies, a global real estate firm, in its sale to Helios AMC.
• Formation of Kinderhawk's midstream joint venture of $1.75 billion in the Haynesville shale area between affiliates of Petrohawk Energy and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, LP and Petrohawk's subsequent exit from the joint venture and formation of a majority owned joint venture with Kinder Morgan in the Eagle Ford shale area.
• Represented a US BOPP Film manufacturer in its $200M strategic acquisition of the US and Canadian subsidiaries of an Italian joint stock company.
• Formation of wholesale and retail propane limited partnership among Hicks Oil and Hicksgas, Incorporated and NGL Supply, Inc., a Denham Partners affiliated company.
• Public-company merger transactions, including within the oilfield services, oil and gas drilling services, defense, electric utility, software, apparel and industrial manufacturing industries.
• Separate reverse acquisitions by privately held company clients involving a publicly held energy company and a publicly held oil field service company, including the simultaneous closing of equity private placements for cash.
• “Merger of equals” transaction involving a Nasdaq-listed investment banking firm with a prominent Houston-based firm to form the largest Texas-based investment bank.
• Private merger, acquisition and sale transactions, as well as tuck-in private acquisitions by publicly held clients, in the oil field service, offshore subsea services, water treatment, Internet commodity trading, apparel, industrial manufacturing, industrial crane, and intellectual technology industries.
• Private placements of debt and equity, including venture capital financings, for private and publicly held companies.
• Going-private transaction for an AMEX-listed specialty financial services company.
• Going dark transaction for a small publicly traded company in the security solutions for the public and private detention facilities market.
• Special investigation involving a publicly traded company in response to a shareholder derivative demand.
• Separate management and investor buy-outs of an oil field equipment manufacturer and a glass recycling business.
• General SEC compliance and governance matters for public companies in a variety of industries.
  

• American Bar Association, Member of Corporations, Banking and Business Law, and Tax Law Sections
• Houston Bar Association, Member of Mergers and Acquisitions Section
• The State Bar of Texas, Member of Business Law and Tax Law Sections
• Association for Corporate Growth, Member