Chris Phillips is a partner with Waller Lansden and practices in the areas of mergers/acquisitions and payment processing/financial technology. Mr. Phillips’ recent experience includes representing national and international buyers and sellers in the acquisition and disposition of payment processing and financial technology companies, as well as acquisitions of portfolios and residual streams. He also represents hospital companies in their acquisition and disposition activities.
Providing counsel to various electronic payment processing companies, Mr. Phillips has assisted in the acquisition of several merchant processing and technology companies, as well as acquisitions of merchant portfolios and residual streams. Mr. Phillips has assisted payment processors and sponsor banks in the negotiation of sponsorship/processing agreements, prepaid card programs, ISO and agent bank agreements. He also has provided guidance regarding compliance with rules and regulations applicable to the payment processing industry.
Mr. Phillips is a frequent speaker at financial services industry conferences and meetings. He addressed the “Emerging Payment Landscape” at the 2010 Southeastern Banking Seminar, and at the 2010 ETA Annual Meeting and Expo he was a panelist in an educational session addressing the topic "The Value of Your Merchant Portfolio: What You Don’t Know Could Cost You." Mr. Phillips will be a member of the panel addressing "Market Landscape and Regulatory Update" at the 2011 Electronic Transactions Association Annual Meeting in May 2011 in San Diego.
Mr. Phillips also advises clients regarding corporate governance matters, periodic reporting required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the negotiation of Directors’ and Officers’ insurance policies.
Mr. Phillips is a member of the American Bar Association working group that publishes the semi-annual Private Target Mergers and Acquisitions Deal Points Study.
Representative Experience
Represented a Fortune 1000 hospital company in its acquisition of multiple hospitals from nonprofit hospital authorities, including the Attorney General review process
Represented an issuing bank in its negotiation of referral bank agreements, issuer processing agreements and the wind-down of its prepaid card issuing business
Represented a private equity-funded technology company in its acquisition of an international division of a Fortune 1000 company
Represented a technology company in its acquisition of a multinational seller and the equity funding of the acquisition
Represented a large merchant acquirer in its negotiations to acquire an international payments technology company, a bill payments company and other merchant acquirers
Represented a venture-backed prepaid card program manager in its negotiation of co-branding agreements with Fortune 500 companies and in negotiation of processing and technology vendor agreements
Represented a Nasdaq-listed U.K. pharmaceutical company as U.S. counsel in its sale to another U.K.-based pharmaceutical company
Represented an independent sales organization in negotiations to convert its merchant portfolio from one third party processor to another and new sponsorship/processing relationships
Represented several merchant acquirers and card issuers in the drafting of form disclosure, terms/conditions and card-back language
Represented a Global 500 consumer-facing financial services company in the review and revision of its operating practices in light of comprehensive U.S. legislative reform
Represented a private equity-backed technology company in the renegotiation of core operating agreements in preparation for sale of company
Represented a large merchant acquirer in negotiations to acquire the merchant portfolio of a regional bank
Represented a buyer as special payments counsel in the acquisition of a subsidiary of a Fortune 1000 company
Represented a private-equity sponsored institutional pharmacy manager in its sale to a Fortune 500 company
Education
J.D., Vanderbilt University, 2003
Recipient, Lightfoot, Franklin & White Best Oralist Award
Recipient, Vanderbilt Scholastic Excellence Award in Professional Responsibility
B.A., cum laude, University of the South, 1996
Professional Activities
Member, Nashville, Tennessee and American Bar Associations
Member, Electronic Financial Services Subcommittee of the American Bar Association Business Law Section
Member, Mergers and Acquisitions Subcommittee of the American Bar Association Business Law Section
Member, Best Practices Committee, Electronic Transactions Association
Member, American Health Lawyers Association
Civic and Other Activities
Member, Board of Directors, The Housing Fund, Inc.
