Christopher M. Barbuto

CHRIS BARBUTO is a versatile M&A partner with an appetite for complex transactions. He has extensive experience working with both strategic and financial sponsor clients, on “carve-out” dispositions, joint ventures, and the corporate and transactional aspects of restructuring matters.

Chris was with General Electric Company for nine years prior to joining Sidley. During his tenure at GE, Chris had significant roles in some of GE’s most noteworthy M&A matters, including GE’s sale of its Global Plastics business to Saudi Arabia Basic Industries for US$11.6 billion. Chris spent four years with GE Capital’s Energy Financial Services business, where he handled numerous infrastructure, energy, project finance, M&A, and “clean tech” venture capital transactions.

Prior to joining GE, Chris was an associate at a large international law firm where he practiced in the areas of M&A and securities law in New York and Paris.

Chris has passed Level I of the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) Program.

Chris’s representations at Sidley have included the following, among other matters:

• Geotab, in its acquisition of Verizon’s telematics business in Europe and Australia, its joint venture with Vitality to combine telematics and behavioral science for commercial fleet management, and in other strategic transactions.
• Olympus Power, LLC, in its engagement as operator and asset manager in connection with the recapitalization of the 1.1 GW Cricket Valley Energy Center.
• A consortium, headed by APG Asset Management N.V. (APG), on behalf of the largest Dutch pension fund, ABP, and Australian Retirement Trust (ART), in the acquisition of Riverstone Holdings’ equity stake in Pattern Energy Group LP.
• Affiliates of Olympus Power, LLC in the sale of the Chalk Point and Dickerson power generation facilities to Rockland Power.
• A leading life insurance company in “GP stakes” deals and commercial arrangements with private market asset managers.
• Raymond James, in its joint venture with Eldridge Industries, called Raymond James Private Credit, to provide private credit solutions to sponsor-backed portfolio companies.
• Rexel USA, in its acquisitions of Mayer Electric, Horizon Solutions and Talley Inc. and in the divestiture of its Gexpro Services business unit.
• Macquarie Inc., as agent, in the M&A and governance aspects of a successful out-of-court restructuring of its loans to Lanyard Power, owner of two gas-generated power facilities in Maryland.
• GE Energy Financial Services in the sale to Seminole Electric Cooperative of the Shady Hills combined cycle development project in Pasco, Florida.
• The prepetition noteholders of Rockley Photonics Holdings Limited, in the M&A and governance aspects of its Chapter 11 Prepackaged Plan of Reorganization.
• Magna International Inc. in its US$1.5 billion acquisition of the Veoneer Active Safety business from SSW Partners.
• GIC, OMERS Infrastructure, and Wren House, in their purchase of Direct ChassisLink, Inc. from funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management and EQT (winner of Infrastructure Investor’s “Transport Deal of the Year” award).
• Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, in its acquisition of Liberty Dental Plan Corporation.
• US Radiology Specialists, in its partnership with South Jersey Radiology Associates and Larchmont Imaging Associates.
• Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, in its partnership with Resurgens Orthopaedics.
• Arsenal Capital Partners, in the recapitalization of Headwall Photonics.
• Aprea Therapeutics, Inc., in its acquisition of Atrin Pharmaceuticals Inc.
• Welltower (NYSE: WELL) in joint ventures, partnerships, and management agreements with operators.
• Jefferies Finance LLC (JFIN), in its corporate reorganization, in connection with the strategic alliance between Jefferies Financial Group, Inc., a 50% owner of JFIN, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation to collaborate on corporate and investment banking business opportunities.
• GIC, in its agreement to acquire an indirect 19.9% equity interest in Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy Corporation, for a total purchase price of US$2.05 billion.
• CareerBuilder, a portfolio company majority-owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc., and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, in its sale of Textkernel, a CareerBuilder subsidiary company and global leading AI-powered HR technology provider, to Main Capital Partners.
• The Board of Directors of FirstCaribbean, in CIBC’s agreement to sell a significant portion of its majority stake in FirstCaribbean to GNB Financial Group Limited.
• GE, in its agreement to sell its interests in GE-Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment LLC to Silex Systems Limited and Cameco Corporation.
• GE, in its joint venture with BlackRock Real Assets, to design, build, own, and operate distributed solar and storage solutions.
• GE, in its global joint venture with Baker Hughes for aero-derivative gas turbine engines and related transactions for GE’s separation from Baker Hughes.
• Carlyle, in a partnership to acquire the laboratory services business of Weatherford International plc for US$205 million.
• OMERS, in its acquisition of a 50% interest in the BridgeTex crude oil pipeline for ~US$1.4 billion from, and its formation of a three-way joint venture for BridgeTex with, Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., and Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P., recognized as “Best Oil & Gas Acquisition” by the 2019 IJ Investor Awards.
• Seqens, a portfolio company of Eurazeo, in its acquisition of PCI Synthesis, a leading U.S. pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).
• GSO Capital Partners LP and 3Bear Energy, LLC, its portfolio company, in a transaction involving the anchor shipper on a gathering and processing system in the Northern Delaware Basin.
• GIC Special Investments, in its investment in Virtu Financial, Inc. as equity financing for Virtu’s acquisition of KCG Holdings, Inc.
• GE, on various aspects of its €9 billion acquisition of Alstom’s Power and Grid businesses, GE’s Grid Solutions and Renewables joint ventures with Alstom, and the divestiture by GE to Ansaldo Energia S.p.A. of Alstom’s PSM gas turbine servicing business. GE negotiated the PSM divestiture transaction with Ansaldo to address U.S. Department of Justice and European Commission objections to GE’s acquisition of Alstom’s businesses.
• OneMain Holdings, Inc., in its divestiture of 127 of its branches to Lendmark Financial Services, LLC, an affiliate of The Blackstone Group L.P., for a cash purchase price of US$624 million. The OneMain-Lendmark transaction was the result of an agreement among OneMain, the U.S. Department of Justice, and various state attorneys general in connection with the acquisition of OneMain Financial Holdings, Inc., from CitiFinancial Credit Company.
• GE, in the sale to BWX Technologies, Inc. of GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Canada Inc., a leading supplier of fuel, fuel handling systems, delivery systems, and replacement components for CANDU® nuclear reactors.
• GE, in its terminated divestiture of GE Appliances to AB Electrolux (which preceded GE’s sale of GE Appliances to Haier for US$5.4 billion).
• General Electric Capital Corporation, in its sale of its Guaranteed Investment Contract (GIC) business to Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Chris has served as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Law at Fordham Law School. He is a member of the New York City Bar Association and its Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate Control Committee.

Chris participates in Sidley’s Emerging Enterprises Pro Bono Program, which aims to support smaller and medium-sized agriculture-related enterprises and development of non-governmental organizations in sub-Saharan Africa and developing countries in Asia. In connection with the program, Chris has represented Farmerline Limited, a Ghanaian-based technology and content provider with operations in Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Malawi, and Sierra Leone, in its corporate restructuring and negotiations with investors and donors.