Christopher A. Delfino

Partner

621 Capitol Mall
18th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

Areas of Law:

Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Nonprofit Organizations, International Law

Admitted to Practice in:

California, Washington, D.C.

EXPERIENCE

Downey Brand LLP, Chair, Corporate Securities and Tax Group (2006 to present)

Advise and counsel corporations, limited liability companies and other business entities with regard to corporate governance, including fiduciary duties of officers, directors, members and managers.

Serve as primary counsel for buyers and sellers in numerous business acquisitions including stock purchases, asset purchases and mergers.

Formation of, and advice and counsel to, business entities, including corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships.

Serve as general counsel to numerous for-profit and nonprofit companies.

Negotiate and draft complex financing, joint venture and distribution agreements for U.S. and foreign companies.

Serve as counsel for various international companies with regards to then U.S. operations and investments.

Represented lenders and borrowers in negotiating and documenting bank financing facilities and venture capital financing.

Former Deputy Chief Counsel for the United States Department of Commerce, Office of the General Counsel, Commercial Law Development Program in Washington, D.C.

Consulted with foreign government officials in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Asia and the Middle East to identify laws, regulations and practices that act as barriers to international business, commercial transactions, trade and investment.

Part of U.S. Government inter-agency team that formulated and implemented strategies for addressing the legal and system problems faced by centrally-planned economies as they make the transition to an open-market economy.

MEMBERSHIPS

Pacific McGeorge International Advisory Committee, Member

Corporations Committee of the Business Law Section, State Bar of California, Co-Chair; Member

Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, General Counsel, Member Executive Committee of the Board

Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber Foundation, General Counsel

Sacramento County Bar Association, Business and International Law Sections, Member; Legislative Committee of the Business Section, Member and Past Vice-Chair

California Society of Association Executives, Associate Member

American Bar Association, Business and International Law Sections, Member

State Bar of California, Business and International Law Sections, Member

EDUCATION

George Washington University, School of Law, Washington, D.C. (LL.M., 1996) University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D., 1993)
University of California, Davis (B.A., 1989)

PUBLICATIONS

Downey Brand LLP Business Law Alert, “Serving on a Nonprofit Board – Are you at risk for penalty taxes?” August 2001, Co-Author

Downey Brand LLP Business Law Alert, “Giving Away the Company: Employee Stock Options and Repricing Considerations,” January 2001, Co-Author

PRESENTATIONS

McGeorge School of Law and University of California, Davis School of Law, “Public International Law,” 2003, Guest Lecturer

The Learning Exchange, “How to Form a Nonprofit Organization,” 2002, 2003 and 2005, Speaker

Sacramento County Bar Association, Business Law Section, "Ethical and Practical Issues for Lawyers Serving on Nonprofit Boards," 2002, Speaker

California Society of Association Executives, "Association and Philanthropic Foundations," 2002, Speaker

McGeorge School of Law, “Public International Law,” 2001, Adjunct Faculty Member

Sacramento County Bar Association, Business Law Section, “Annual Legislative Update of California Business Law,” 2000 and 2001, Panelist

McGeorge School of Law, Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Team, 2000 and 2001, Faculty Advisor

The American University, School of International Service, Washington, D.C., Professional Lecturer

Undergraduate course titled “Introduction to International Law” which introduced students to the general legal concepts underlying public international law, 1998, Teacher

Graduate course titled “The Law of International Trade and Investment” which focused on the legal, political and economic considerations that shape the U.S. Government's policies and laws on trade and investment, 1997, Teacher

U.S. Embassy-Cairo, Egypt, “Agreements, Institutions and Functions of the World Trade Organization,” 1998, Lecturer

Kiev State University for Trade and Economics, Kiev , Ukraine , “ U.S. and International Trade Law and Policy,” 1998, Lecturer

CHARITABLE

Sacramento Arts and Business Council, Business Volunteer for the Arts Program, 2005 Volunteer of the Year Award

Disabled Sports USA - Far West, Former Board Chair and Director

Leadership Sacramento, Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Graduate