Christopher Melsha is a member of our Business & Securities Group, practicing primarily in the areas of securities, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters. Christopher's experience includes representing issuers, both emerging and Fortune 1000 companies, in private placements and public offerings of debt and equity securities, including venture capital and PIPE (private investment in public equity) financings. He also represents public and private companies in mergers and other acquisition transactions, including reverse mergers, and regularly assists public company clients in connection with Securities Exchange Act compliance, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Christopher received a Juris Doctor degree, summa cum laude (Co-Valedictorian), from William Mitchell College of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in government from St. John's University. He is admitted to practice in Minnesota.
William Mitchell College of Law, St Paul, Minnesota,
1996, J.D. Honors: Summa Cum Laude
Honors: Co-Valedictorian
Law Review:
William Mitchell Law Review, 1994 - 1996
St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota,
1993, B.A. Honors: Cum Laude
Chris Melsha
Experience
Represented Cougar Biotechnology, Inc., a publicly-held Los Angeles-based biotechnology company, in its May 2007 $50 million PIPE offering of common stock and its April 2006 private placement of $40 million of preferred and common stock.
Represented Hana Biosciences, Inc., a publicly-held South San Francisco-based biotechnology company, in its May 2006 registered direct offering of $40 million of common stock and private placements of its equity securities from 2004 to 2005, resulting in $32 million in aggregate proceeds.
Represented Tigris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company based in Bonita Springs, FL, in its December 2006 private placement of $16 million of Series B Preferred Stock, and in its September 2005 private placement of $14 million of Series A Preferred Stock.
Represented VioQuest Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly-held biotechnology company based in Basking Ridge, N.J., in its October 2005 acquisition of Greenwich Therapeutics, Inc. and in multiple private placements of its equity securities from 2003 to 2006.
Represented Manhattan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly-held biotechnology company based in New York, in its March 2007 private placement of $8.5 million of common stock and warrants; in its August 2005 private placement of $13.2 million of common stock and warrants; in its April 2005 acquisition of Tarpan Therapeutics, Inc.; and its November 2003 $10 million private placement of Series A Preferred Stock.
Represented The Valspar Corporation in its 2002 public offering of $350 million five-year notes, and in its 2001 public offering of $195 million of common stock.
Represented Raven Industries, Inc. in several acquisitions and divestitures, including its 2005 acquisition of Montgomery Industries, Inc., its 2001 acquisition of Starlink, Inc., its sale of its plastics division in 2000, and the 1999 sale of its Glasstite, Inc. business.
Represented regional investment banking firms in connection with several private placements of equity and debt securities of public and private issuers.
