Christopher Poggi
Partner
Chris Poggi represents major financial institutions, private equity sponsors and companies in connection with the design and negotiation of specialized finance structures, with a focus on whole-business securitization and ABS backed by media assets such as motion pictures and music publishing rights. He regularly advises clients in connection with complex, high-profile securitizations involving esoteric assets such as film rights, music and other intellectual property royalties, and restaurant and other franchised business revenues. Chris has long-standing experience bringing first-of-their-kind rated securitized bond offerings to market and through to a successful close.
Experience
- Represented Sycamore Partners in connection with the bridge financing for its acquisition of The Goddard School, a leading franchisor of premium early childhood education centers across the United States, and the subsequent $420 million whole-business securitization bond offering backed by Goddard’s franchise and brand assets.
- Represented Northleaf Capital Partners and AVALT in a securitized note offering of Class A and Class B Senior Secured Notes for portfolio company AMAROK LLC (formerly Electric Guard Dog), a leading provider of perimeter security infrastructure solutions in the United States.
- Represented a major private equity firm in connection with numerous whole-business securitization offerings and bridge financings for their iconic restaurant and other franchise brands, including CKE Restaurants (owner of Carl’s Jr. and Hardees), ServiceMaster Brands, Arby’s, Jimmy John’s, Sonic Drive-Ins, Primrose Schools and Massage Envy.*
- Represented Guggenheim Securities as underwriter or initial purchaser in connection with multiple innovative 144A and 4(a)(2) ABS offerings backed by portfolios of music publishing rights owned by Crescendo Music, MusiCapital, Iconic Music Group and Tempo Music.*
- Represented MRC Entertainment’s dick clark productions in connection with multiple offerings of securitized notes backed by revenues from the future production of five annual live event television programs: Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, the American Music Awards, the American Country Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards and the Golden Globes.*
- Represented a major insurer as investor in notes issued by Larry Levinson Productions to finance made-for-television movies.*
- Represented the initial purchasers in connection with multiple issuances of securitized notes backed by revenues from the 700+ films in the Miramax film library, in the first film securitization closed after the 2008-2010 financial crisis.*
- Represented Ambac Assurance Corporation in major structured financings of film assets of more than $3 billion in the aggregate for The Weinstein Company, Marvel Studios, Universal Studios, Inc. and DreamWorks.*
*Experience prior to joining Ropes & Gray
Publications
- Profiled, “Hires: Baker Hostetler, Ropes & Gray, Littler, Kilpatrick,” Law360 (March 25, 2022)
- Profiled, “Ropes & Gray Adds New Co-Lead For Securitization Practice,” Law360 (March 23, 2022)
- Quoted, “Ropes & Gray Gains Finance Practice Partner Christopher Poggi,” Bloomberg Law (March 14, 2022)
Education
- JD, University of Virginia School of Law, 2000
- BA, magna cum laude, University of Notre Dame, 1997
Admissions / Qualifications
Qualifications
- New York, 2001
Awards
- Chambers Global (2023)
- Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2022-2023)
- Chambers USA – Nationwide: Up and Coming - Capital Markets: Securitization: ABS (2021)