Christopher L. Smith Jr.

Chris Smith advises investment managers, private fund sponsors and institutional investors on the formation, fundraising, governance and ongoing operation of private investment vehicles. His practice encompasses a broad range of fund structures and investment strategies, and he regularly guides clients through the legal, regulatory and commercial issues that arise throughout a fund’s lifecycle.

Chris works with sponsors launching and managing domestic and offshore investment platforms and advises on matters ranging from fund structuring and investor negotiations to operational and regulatory compliance. He also assists clients with business transactions involving investment management firms and complex sponsor-level arrangements.

Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Chris was an attorney with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in its Dallas office. He earned a law degree from Duke University School of Law. He holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Rhodes College, where he studied accounting and business.

• Represented fund sponsors in the launch and management of various commingled private credit funds with aggregate commitments of over $10 billion.
• Represented an investment manager in the sale of its asset management business to a publicly traded company, including the spinoff of a relying adviser and the restructuring of its carried interest payments.
• Represented an investment manager in the creation and subsequent operation of a fund of funds, including the structuring and review of underlying investments.
• Represented a fund sponsor in the restructuring of its comingled investment funds, including managing the relationships with Irish, Luxembourg and Cayman counsel and other specialist counsel.

• Duke University School of Law - J.D., 2019

  magna cum laude
  Order of the Coif

• Rhodes College - M.S., 2016
• Rhodes College - B.A., 2015

  magna cum laude

• Texas, 2019
• * Chris Smith is currently licensed to practice in Texas and is registered to practice in Tennessee pursuant to Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 7 Sec. 10.07

Duke University School of Law — Regulatory Law Award (Class of 2019)