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Christina Edling Melendi

Partner

She/Her/Hers

Christina Melendi has represented private equity firms and their portfolio companies for more than 20 years, providing strategic and structuring advice across a wide range of complex transactions. Christina focuses her private equity and corporate and securities practice on representing private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies and public and private companies in complex mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions, including divestitures, asset purchases, minority investments, and joint ventures. She also advises institutional and mezzanine investors in co-investment transactions with private equity sponsors and restructuring and workout transactions. Christina serves as a co-leader of the firm's global private equity practice and a member of the firm’s advisory board, and is a former leader of the firm’s retail and ecommerce industry team.

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Morgan Lewis Partner Christina Melendi Named as 2021 MCCA Rainmaker

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Successfully Managing Retail Businesses During and After a Crisis

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Updated CDC and OSHA Guidance on Mask Usage and Effects on Retail Employers

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Retail Reopens Guide
Retailers need an individualized approach to reopening, taking into account local guidelines and their ability to adapt. 

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Retail Did You Know? Price Gouging in the Time of COVID-19

    Extended Profile

    While Christina represents clients in investments across many industries, she has a strong focus on the retail and ecommerce, hospitality, financial services, and healthcare industries. She also represents asset management firms in M&A and investment transactions and frequently advises companies on corporate and governance matters.

    Christina also assists companies to raise capital in the public markets, including initial public offerings and secondary offerings, and counsels clients on SEC reporting and securities law disclosures.

    selected representations

    • Freeman Spogli & Co. in its investment in EverVet Partners
    • A middle-market private equity fund in its investment in a transportation and logistics company
    • Freeman Spogli in the acquisition of US Med-Equip, and add-on acquisitions by US Med-Equip
    • Covington Capital Management in its sale to Cerity Partners
    • Green Garden Products in the sale of its business to Central Garden & Pet 
    • Freeman Spogli in the acquisition of Five Star Food Service from PNC Riverarch, and several add-on acquisitions by Five Star Food Service 
    • Kamps Pallets in its acquisition of Buckeye Diamond Logistics, Inc.
    • DentalOne Partners in its sale to Mid-Atlantic Dental Partners
    • Freeman Spogli in a minority investment in Brooklinen, Inc.
    • Freeman Spogli in its acquisition of Kamps Pallets
    • MicroStar Logistics cross-border acquisition of Kegstar
    • Freeman Spogli in its acquisition of Easy Ice
    • A lender group in connection with the recapitalization of a software development company 
    • Institutional investors in the acquisition of a minority interest in a marketing and technology services company in the education space 
    • An aquaculture company in its acquisition of shrimp farms in Latin America
    • A financial services organization in numerous co-investments transactions with equity sponsors across industries
    • Mezzanine investors advising on equity investments and restructurings in numerous transactions across industries
    • A global private equity fund in a co-investment transaction for an infrastructure project
    • First Watch Restaurants in its leveraged recapitalization 
    • Plantation Products in its acquisition of several seed brands and plant supplement products
    • Freeman Spogli in its leveraged recapitalization of Batteries Plus Bulbs
    • Freeman Spogli in its acquisition of Café Rio Restaurants
    • Freeman Spogli in its acquisition of City Barbeque restaurants
    • Freeman Spogli in its minority investment in Osprey Packs
    • The Paradies Shops in its sale to Lagardère Travel Retail
    • Sponsors in the leveraged recapitalization of totes Isotoner Corporation
    • OM Asset Management Limited, a subsidiary of Old Mutual plc, in its initial public offering of securities and subsequent secondary offerings of securities
    • Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. in its initial public offering
    • Tempur Sealy International, Inc. in its acquisition of Sealy Corporation and its related high-yield debt financing

    Education

    • University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, 2000, J.D.
    • Cornell University, 1997, B.A., Economics

    Admissions

    • New York
    • New Jersey
    • California

    Awards and Affiliations

    Member, Private Equity Editorial Advisory Board, Law360 (2023)

    Recommended, M&A/corporate and commercial: Private equity buyouts, The Legal 500 US (2022, 2023)

    Rainmaker, Minority Corporate Counsel Association (2021)

    Notable Practitioner, IFLR1000 United States (2018, 2020)

    Notable Practitioner, IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate (2019–2023)

    40 Under 40, M&A Advisor (2013)

    Rising Star, New York Metro Super Lawyers (2013–2015)

    Board of Directors (2011–2016), Board President (2012–2016), HandCrafting Justice

    Member, American Bar Association

    Member, New York State Bar Association

    Member, California Bar Association

    Publications

    News

    Events