HARTFORD and NEW YORK, May 8, 2025: Bolstering the firm’s investment finance capabilities, including in private placements and private credit, Morgan Lewis welcomes back Christopher Lawrence as a partner, who will be splitting his time between Morgan Lewis’s Hartford and New York offices. Joining from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Chris advises private credit funds, insurance companies, asset managers, and other institutional investors in secured and unsecured debt and equity financing transactions.
“As the market for private credit continues to expand, our finance team is well-positioned to advise investors and issuers pursuing and seeking debt investments,” said Firm Chair Jami McKeon. “Chris is an experienced and versatile practitioner who brings additional strength to our finance practice, particularly for our institutional investor clients.”
Chris’s practice focuses on direct lending, private placement, mezzanine, first- and second-lien debt, “one-stop,” and unitranche financings. His experience includes representing lenders in leveraged buyouts, cash flow and asset-based lending transactions, and project and infrastructure, bond, maritime, and cross-border financings. Chris also represents lenders in out-of-court workouts, reorganizations, and debt restructurings, and advises clients in the purchase and sale of distressed loans and other debt instruments.
“Chris’s private placement and institutional finance practice aligns well with the work our team is doing in this space and will be an invaluable resource for our clients,” said Marjorie Crider, leader of the firm’s finance practice. “He brings a collaborative approach to client service, and we’re excited to welcome him back to our active and growing team.”
With more than 120 lawyers in financial centers throughout the world, Morgan Lewis's finance team advises clients on a wide range of complex matters involving asset-based lending; aviation finance; bankruptcy, restructuring, and insolvency; corporate trustee matters; institutional finance and private placements; leveraged finance; private credit; and private equity and borrower-side finance.