Christopher Rose oversees Squire Sanders’ private equity practice in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Russia and the Middle East and is the coordinator of Squire Sanders’ Emerging Markets Private Equity Group. He frequently advises on private equity and venture capital investments and exits, as well as mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. He also regularly counsels on the formation of private equity funds. Chris’s industry experience includes TMT, retail, fast-moving consumer goods, manufacturing and real estate.

Chris is a recognized leader in the field of private equity in CEE and Russia. He has advised on dozens of transactions in the region on behalf of leading investment funds including Alfa Capital Partners, Allianz Rosno, Almaz Capital Partners, Baring Vostok Capital Partners, Digital Sky Technologies, EBRD, Elbrus Capital, Goldman Sachs Special Situations Group, HVB Capital, Mint Capital, Moore Capital, New Russia Growth Fund, Steep Rock Capital, Strategia Private Equity, Troika Capital Partners, UFG Private Equity, UniCredit CA IB, United Capital Partners and Van Riet Capital.

Chris was awarded the 2011 Global Award for Private Equity Lawyer of the Year in Russia by Corporate International Magazine. Chris is listed as one of the top private equity lawyers in Russia by Chambers Europe 2011 and Practical Law Company’s Which Lawyer? Yearbook 2010. He is also included in the most recent edition of the Guide to the World’s Leading Private Equity Lawyers.

Chris conceived of and co-founded the Russian Private Equity Initiative, an association of leading private equity fund managers and advisors in Russia. He has been a co-author of the Russian Federation chapter of the PLC Cross-border Private Equity Handbook each year since 2006, published by Practical Law Company. He is a frequent speaker at conferences on private equity in CEE and Russia and is regularly interviewed by prominent publications for his views on the industry.

代表性執業經驗

Fund Investment Representations

• Advising UFG Capital Partners:
  • as co-investor in a consortium led by Baring Vostok Capital Partners and Tiger Global Management on the acquisition of shares representing a minority investment in Yandex, Russia’s leading Internet portal with a market cap of US$1.1 billion; and
  • in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in Eurorent, a heavy construction equipment rental company.
• Advising Goldman Sachs European Special Situations Group on its investment in Digital Sky Technologies, the holding company for investments in several of Russia’s largest internet companies.
• Advising Baring Vostok Capital Partners in connection with an infrastructure investment.
• Advising United Capital Partners on its investment into Monarch Group, a leading footwear producer and retailer in Russia and Ukraine.
• Advising Alfa Capital Partners in connection with its co-investment into Independence Motors, a leading Russia-based automotive dealership.
• Advising Elbrus Capital on investments in the telecommunications sector.
• Representing The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in a series of transactions, including its investment in Hlebprom, a Russia-based producer of pastry and cakes.
• Representing Moore Capital, one of the world’s top five hedge funds with more than US$18 billion under management, in its private equity investments in Russia and Ukraine, including:
  • US$50 million investment in RosEvroDevelopment, Russia’s leading national real estate developer;
  • a joint venture with Agrico Russia for the acquisition and lease-back of 100,000 hectares of farming land in southern Russia;
  • a minority investment in Lenta, a Russia-based retail chain; and
  • a co-investment in Rosvodokanal, a Russia-based water company with treatment plants in six major cities across Russia.
• Representing Mint Capital in a series of private equity investments, including its investments into:
  • Verysell, Russia’s leading IT consulting and systems integrator;
  • Dept, the leading Russia-based specialized manufacturer of laminate tubes used in the packaging of various pasty products, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and toothpastes;
  • Mone, a leading Russia-based beauty salon and spa chain;
  • UCMS, a leading business process consultant and outsourcing company with operations in Russia, Ukraine and Poland;
  • Tinkoff, a Russia-based restaurant group; and
  • Capital Collection Agency (CCA), a Russia-based debt collection company.
• Advising New Russia Growth (NRG) Fund in a series of private equity investments, including its investments into:
  • A Russia-based baby food producer;
  • MetroMAX, an owner and operator of IP-based voice and data networks in Russia; and
  • UfaNet, a major Russia-based regional broadband Internet service provider.
  • Advising Almaz Capital on its minority investment in Yandex, Russia’s leading Internet portal with a market cap of US$1.1 billion.
• Advising UniCredit CAIB and HVB Capital Partners on:
  • a proposed investment into a Russia-based retail group;
  • its divestment from CS Cargo, a logistics company operating in Central Europe; and
  • the financing of a proposed public-to-private transaction in Poland.
• Advising a leading emerging markets private equity fund on the mezzanine financing of a chemicals group with operations in Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus and Finland.
• Representing sponsors in the organization and structuring of a consortium to pursue, with Telecom Italia, the second mobile telephony license in Saudi Arabia and the related financing.
• Representing a consortium of Saudi investors in connection with their successful bid to acquire one of two newly authorized data Internet licenses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Advising Cable Partners Europe in the private equity financing of its acquisitions of a controlling interest in Telenet, a “triple play” provider of cable television, Internet and point to point telephony in Belgium, in two transactions valued at more than €3 billion. The investors in Telenet were Cable Partners Europe, together with its investment partners Evercore Capital Partners L.P., Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec and Merrill Lynch Private Equity.
• Advising a group of private equity investors, led by Cable Partners Europe, in the private equity financing of the acquisition of controlling interests in Deutsche Telekom’s 4 million-subscriber Nordrhein Westfalen cable property and 2.4 million-subscriber Baden Würtemberg cable business. The businesses were valued at more than €5 billion. The investor group included The Blackstone Group, Investcorp, Bank of America, Banco Santander Central Hispano, The Edward T. Bass Group, Merrill Lynch Private Equity and several other investors.

Portfolio Company Representations

• Representing Russia-based tire manufacturer Amtel Vredestein in four rounds of private equity financing totaling US$145 million and acting as issuer’s counsel in connection with the company’s initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.
• Advising Maxisport/R-Fitness, a leading fitness chain, on its merger with World Class, another leading Russia-based fitness chain co-owned by Alfa Capital Partners.
• Advising Henderson, a Russia-based men’s fashion retail chain, in connection with a private equity investment from Aton Capital, a leading Russian investment fund.
• Advising Sprandi, a Russia-based sportswear retail chain, on two rounds of investment from a leading Russia-based private equity fund.
• Representing Enforta, one of Russia’s largest wireless broadband and Internet providers, on structuring and negotiating four rounds of equity financing, including its US$20 million Series B preferred offering to Baring Vostok and Sumitomo, its Series B+ preferred offering to The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and current shareholders, and its US$40 million Series C offering to current shareholders and Bessemer Venture Partners, one of the United States’ largest venture capital funds.

Fund Formation Representations

• Representing Albion Alliance, the emerging market subsidiary of Alliance Capital and East Fund Management, a subsidiary of CA IB Investment Bank (formerly Investment Bank Austria), in the formation and sale of interests in The Czech Direct Equity Fund I L.P., an offshore fund for direct equity investments in mid-sized companies in the Czech Republic.
• Representing the sponsor in the formation of a US$200 million Isle of Man fund focused on investments in Russian real estate.
• Advising Almaz Capital on the second closing of a US$100 million venture capital fund focused on equity-related investments in TMT companies in Russia and the CIS.
• Advising the sponsors of a leading Russia-based private equity fund in the formation of its third fund.
• Representing sponsors in the organization and structure of a consortium to pursue the second mobile telephony license in Saudi Arabia and the related financing.
• Representing sponsors in the formation and financing of a vehicle for primary and tertiary healthcare services in the Middle East.