Pierce Atwood LLP

64 Best Lawyers awards

Pierce Atwood LLP logo

Awarded Practice Areas

Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Biography

Christopher E. Howard, partner in the Business Group, serves on the firm's Management Committee and is the former head of its Business Practice Group. Chris has a unique combination of technical legal skills and hands-on business and finance experience, which enables him to integrate these disciplines into strategies that match client objectives and provide clients with a competitive advantage. Chris's practice has three main areas of focus:

  • Corporate finance and transactional representation: Chris' work involves all aspects of corporate, securities, and commercial law, focusing on representing entrepreneurs and middle-market companies in a wide variety of transactional settings.
  • Resort and hospitality industry: Chris continues to be active in the hospitality sector with projects ranging from resort acquisition and disposition to numerous hotel developments to representation of Maine's first gaming development.
  • General counsel representation: In addition to his work as American Skiing Company's general counsel, Chris's experience includes acting as "external" general counsel for several large to midsize companies including two of Maine's largest insurance companies. Chris's forte is in managing complex commercial transactions and development projects in time-sensitive environments, and in accessing all sectors of the capital markets.
Pierce Atwood LLP

64 Best Lawyers awards

Pierce Atwood LLP logo

Overview

  • Cornell University, J.D., magna cum laude, graduated 1982
  • Bates College, B.A., magna cum laude, graduated 1979

  • United States, Maine

  • Maine Governmental Facilities Authority - Immediate Past Chairman
  • Maine North Atlantic Development Office - Board Member
  • Maine State Bar Association - Member
  • Mercy Hospital - Board Member
  • The Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness - Founding Board Member
  • United States, Maine
  • Maine Governmental Facilities Authority - Immediate Past Chairman
  • Maine North Atlantic Development Office - Board Member
  • Maine State Bar Association - Member
  • Mercy Hospital - Board Member
  • The Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness - Founding Board Member
  • Cornell University, J.D., magna cum laude, graduated 1982
  • Bates College, B.A., magna cum laude, graduated 1979

Client Testimonials

Christopher is probably the best overall general corporate practice attorney I have ever encountered. He surrounds himself with a core team of younger attorneys that provide real time execution for fairly complicated financial transactions and others. He has incredible transactional experience and is always timely.

John Halle (Cate Street Capital, Inc.)

Portsmouth, NH

Christopher Howard is probably the best overall general corporate practice attorney I have ever encountered. He surrounds himself with a core team of younger attorneys that provide real time execution for fairly complicated financial transactions among other things. He has incredible transactional experience and is always timely.

John Halle (Cate Street Capital, Inc.)

Portsmouth, NH

Awards & Focus

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2022 - Mergers and Acquisitions Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2015 - Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Portland, ME (2022)
  • Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Portland, ME (2015)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Awards:
  • Included in The Best Lawyers in America® for Mergers & Acquisitions Law (2007-present)
  • Named a Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyer of the Year” for Mergers & Acquisitions Law in Maine (2015 & 2022)
  • Recognized in Chambers USA for Corporate/M&A law.

Case History

Cases
  • Recent Expereince
Representation of a potential purchaser of controlling interest in a $4.9 billion coal and petroleum coke gasification facility located in the southwest.
Representation of Dixville, LLC in connection with the acquisition, expansion and redevelopment of the Balsams Resort in New Hampshire.
Representation of St. Croix Tissue, Inc. in financing the $130 million development of a manufacturing plant at the Woodland Mill in Baileyville, Maine.
Representation of Advantage Capital Partners, a new markets tax credit allocatee, in organizing and establishing a NMTC-based loan pool leveraging federal and state of Maine new market tax credits in order to make investments in multiple businesses.
Representation of Burgess Biopower in the financing of its 75 MW biomass power plant located in Berlin, New Hampshire.
Representation of Mercy Hospital in connection with its affiliation with Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems.
Representation of Goold Health Services, a Maine-based provider of Medicaid fee for service pharmacy benefits management services in its acquisition by Emdeon, Inc.

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