Ein Mann mit grauem Bart und Brille, gekleidet in einen dunklen Anzug und ein weißes Hemd, steht in einem unscharfen Innenraum - typisch für erfahrene Anwälte aus Chicago, die bei Rechtsstreitigkeiten Unterstützung leisten.

Christopher J. Rasmussen

Partner

Christopher J. Rasmussen

Partner

Chris Rasmussen is a partner and business lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP. He represents clients in transactional matters throughout all stages of the corporate life cycle, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, securities, finance, corporate governance (including tax-exempt not-for-profit organizations), and general commercial transactions. Chris represents clients across a range of industries, including financial services; insurance; sports, media and entertainment; food and beverage; technology; construction; health care; and manufacturing. He is a member of the firm’s Manufacturing Sector, and Sports, International, and Food & Beverage Industry Teams.

Repräsentative Erfahrung

M&A, Securities, and Finance Matters

  • Served as principal legal advisor to Sun World International, LLC in its strategic joint venture with Pairwise.
  • Represented Chicago Bar Company, LLC d/b/a RXBAR in the sale of the company to Kellogg Company (NYSE: K).
  • Represented Club Automation, LLC in the sale of the company to Daxko Holding LLC.
  • Represented a Fortune 500 financial services company in its acquisition of a dividend income-focused asset management firm.
  • Represented a Fortune 500 manufacturer of building materials in multiple acquisitions of operating companies.
  • Represented a Fortune 500 financial services company in its acquisition of a software company.
  • Represented a multinational dairy and food ingredient cooperative in multiple acquisitions of dairy and food ingredient companies and assets.
  • Represented Guggenheim Baseball Management, the group headed by Mark Walter, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Stan Kasten, in the acquisition of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the largest transaction at the time for a professional sports franchise.
  • Represented the Ricketts family in its acquisition of a controlling interest in the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field and a related ownership interest in a regional sports network, all through a complex leveraged partnership structure, the single largest transaction ever for a North American sports franchise.
  • Represented Rangers Baseball Express (the investment group led by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan) in its acquisition of the Texas Rangers, a complex transaction that culminated in the purchase of the club through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy auction.
  • Represented a fertilizer company in the sale of its business to Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT).
  • Represented a publicly traded financial services company in its acquisition of both a registered securities broker-dealer and a registered investment advisor.
  • Represented a grocery company in the sale of certain supermarket facilities and related assets.
  • Represented a number of hospital groups, physician ownership groups and private equity funds in the purchase and sale of (and investment in) hospital systems, physician-owned hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.
  • Represented both mature and early-stage issuers in connection with various equity and debt financing transactions and securities offerings, including non-public offerings under Rule 144A.
  • Represented both borrowers and lenders in secured and unsecured credit transactions in a variety of industries.

Additional Sports, Media, and Entertainment Industries Matters

  • Represented Guggenheim Baseball Management (the ownership group for the Los Angeles Dodgers) in the formation of American Media Productions, LLC (AMP), the related launch of the SportsNet LA regional sports network, and the related media rights agreement between the Dodgers and AMP, granting AMP the rights to air Dodgers games.
  • Represented Rangers Baseball Express (the investment group led by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan) in its acquisition of the Texas Rangers, a complex transaction that culminated in the purchase of the club through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy auction.
  • Represented an institutional lender in loan arrangements with professional athletes.
  • Represented Chicago 2016 in its efforts to secure real estate use agreements for Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
  • Represented MLB and NFL clubs in a variety of day-to-day legal matters, including matters relating to financing, consulting arrangements, general corporate matters, league compliance, and the negotiation of strategic joint ventures and various commercial agreements.
  • Serving as outside general counsel to the Windy City Rollers (a member league of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association), including advising the league on internal restructuring, general strategic counseling, and a variety of commercial transactions.
  • Counseling numerous artists and producers in the fields of music, theater, animation, radio broadcasting, podcasting and streaming services and fashion design on a variety of legal matters, including corporate formation and governance, licensing, distribution, and the negotiation of a variety of commercial transactions.

Auszeichnungen und Anerkennungen

  • Chris was selected for inclusion in the 2015 Illinois Super Lawyers–Rising Stars® list.

Zugehörigkeiten

  • 2017 – 2018 chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Business Law Committee
  • Member of the ABA Task Force on Legal Project Management in Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Mitglied der Vereinigung der Sportrechtsanwälte
  • Member of the Business Law and Sports & Entertainment Law Sections of the ABA
  • Member of the Illinois State Bar Association
  • He is admitted to practice in Illinois

Engagement für die Gemeinschaft

Before attending law school, Chris worked for several years as a professional musician, arranger, and music teacher, and he spent two years as a stage performer with the Broadway, London, and United States touring productions of Blast!, a Tony- and Emmy-award-winning musical theater show. He remains active as a percussionist with the Northshore Concert Band in Evanston, Illinois, and he is a board member for both the Northshore Concert Band and Third Coast Percussion.

26. September 2025 Abschlüsse und Siege

Foley vertritt Sun World International in strategischer Partnerschaft mit Pairwise zur Entwicklung kernloser Kirschen

Foley & Lardner LLP ist stolz darauf, Sun World International, LLC bei seinem strategischen Joint Venture mit Pairwise, einem branchenführenden Pionier im Bereich der landwirtschaftlichen Genbearbeitung, rechtlich beraten zu haben, um bei der Entwicklung von Spezialobst zusammenzuarbeiten.
11. Dezember 2024 Deals und Siege

Foley berät Pyrotek Special Effects bei der Akquisition durch Gladstone Investment Corporation

Foley & Lardner LLP fungierte als US-Rechtsberater für Pyrotek Special Effects, Inc. mit Sitz in Ontario, einem Pionier im Bereich Live-Entertainment für Spezialeffekte und Lösungen, bei der Übernahme durch Gladstone Investment Corporation.
19. August 2024 Geschäfte und Gewinne

Foley vertritt Sun World International bei der Akquisition von Biogold

Foley & Lardner LLP hat Sun World International, LLC bei der kürzlich erfolgten strategischen Übernahme der Biogold Group, einem bedeutenden, in Südafrika ansässigen Verwalter von weltweiten Fruchtsortenrechten, als Hauptrechtsberater fungiert.
25. Juni 2024 Deals und Gewinne

Foley vertritt Sharethrough beim Zusammenschluss mit Equativ

Foley & Lardner LLP ist stolz darauf, als US-Rechtsberater für das in Montreal ansässige Unternehmen Sharethrough bei dessen Fusion mit dem globalen
31. Oktober 2022 Deals und Gewinne

Foley berät Snap One bei der Übernahme von Clare Controls

Foley & Lardner LLP vertrat Snap One bei der Übernahme von Clare Controls und baute dabei auf dem Erfolg der bestehenden Vertriebsvereinbarung mit Clare Controls auf.
31. Oktober 2022 Deals und Gewinne

Foley vertritt Snap One bei der Übernahme von Parasol

Foley & Lardner LLP vertrat Snap One, einen Anbieter von Smart-Living-Produkten, -Dienstleistungen und -Software für professionelle Integratoren, bei der Übernahme von Parasol, einem leistungsstarken 24/7-Fernsupportdienst auf Basis von OvrC.