Chad devotes a substantial portion of his practice to advising clients in the areas of corporate, banking and commercial transactions, sports, real estate, health care and business succession planning. Chad represents clients in many industries, including technology, telecommunications, sports and entertainment, banking, construction, manufacturing, health sciences and business services. Chad represents growth and technology companies at all stages of development, from initial start-ups to early stage financing companies to more mature privately-held companies. Chad structures, manages, and negotiates merger and acquisition transactions, debt financing, equity and venture capital transactions, strategic alliances, technology licenses, recapitalizations, and other corporate and commercial transactions.
Chad routinely serves as outside general counsel for early stage and emerging companies, as well as multinational and international groups, representing clients on their day-to-day legal needs, including complex business issues relating to corporate structure, formation and governance, multi-business organizations, market commercialization, debt or equity finance transactions, employment matters and various industry specific regulatory matters. Chad also represents a variety of health care providers and other parties in transactions involving multi-physician practices, equipment device manufacturers and joint ventures. In the commercial lending area, Chad represents banks, commercial finance companies, asset-based lenders and borrowers in structuring, documenting, negotiating and monitoring credit relationships from proposal and commitment letter development through loan closing, and thereafter on subsequent loan administration matters. Chad also assists firm clients with the structuring and documentation of real estate acquisitions, divestitures and financing of real property, as well as the development of office, retail and specialty-use commercial real estate and leasing projects.
In addition, Chad has substantial experience in representing clients in a wide array of licensing, sponsorship and technology related matters drawn from his experience in representing the Major League Baseball Players Association. Chad’s clients include various sports ownership groups, entities, foundation boards and individuals in connection with their various professional and amateur sports-related business transactions, including dealings with the NCAA, MLS, NASCAR, MLB, NBA, ABA, CBA, NFHS, Upper Deck, Topps, Donruss, EA and many others. Chad has substantial experience advising clients on how to improve deal value, analyzing transaction structure, performing due diligence, and drafting and negotiating transaction agreements. Chad also provides advice related to reducing purchase risk, analyzing industry-specific regulatory compliance issues, adjusting economic risks advantageous to the client by designing holdbacks, escrows, indemnification and earn-out arrangements, and protecting deal value and risk exposure through representations, warranties and covenants that correlate economic risk to the client’s deal objectives.
professional experience
Fontg & Hansen LLC, Member, 2007 to present
Polsinelli Shughart PC (f/k/a Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C.), Director (elected on accelerated basis), 1999-2007
education
University of Kansas School of Law, J.D., 1999
Baker University, B.S., Accounting and Business Management
Highest Academic Distinction, summa cum laude and graduated first in class, 4.0 GPA
First Team Academic All-American Athlete
Midwest Region Collegiate Pitcher of the Week
Heart of America All-Conference Athlete
Kansas State Certified Public Accountants Scholarship
Delta Tau Delta Fraternity
bar admissions + professional affiliations
AV rating by Martindale Hubbell (highest confidential peer rating for legal abilities and professional standards)
Admitted, State Bar of Missouri
Admitted, State Bar of Kansas
Admitted, State Bar of Iowa
Member, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
Member, Lawyers Association of Kansas City
Member, American Bar Association, Business and Health Care Sections
civic and bar activities
Selected to Super Lawyers Missouri and Kansas Rising Stars 2008 and 2012
Voted “Best of the Bar” by the Kansas City Business Journal, 2008, 2010, 2011
Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C., Former Member, Board of Directors (youngest Board Member in law firm’s history)
Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C. Former Member, 20/20 Committee, Hiring Committee Chair
KC Soccer Foundation, Former Member, Board of Directors
Enhanced Opportunities, Inc., Former Member, Board of Directors
Active with coaching and youth sports organizations