Christopher L. McLean
Biography
Christopher McLean is a Member at Kaufman & Canoles, P.C. and a Director of ESOP Strategies, LLC. Christopher’s practice focuses on succession planning in three interconnected areas: corporate succession planning, management succession planning and succession planning for individuals.
Christopher’s corporate succession planning is rooted in his extensive background in corporate law, including M&A transactions and Benefit Corporations, which both complement his broad ESOP background. Christopher has worked with numerous corporations and shareholders in a wide range of corporate ownership succession and exit transactions, including leveraged buyouts, corporate stock repurchases, corporate reorganizations, and ESOP purchase and sale transactions. His ESOP practice focuses primarily on the design, implementation, maintenance, and compliance of ESOPs, while representing ESOP sponsors or trustees. Christopher also advises ESOP sponsors in the management of mature ESOPs, including evaluating repurchase obligation options, resolving administrative issues, counseling on acquisitions and secondary purchase transactions, and coordinating and designing executive compensation plans complementary to ESOPs.
Christopher’s management succession practice involves advising corporate boards of directors and management with respect to executive compensation and incentive plans including phantom stock, stock appreciation rights, synthetic equity and equity-based programs, stock options, restricted stock, deferred compensation, other executive compensation arrangements and executive employment agreements.
Christopher’s Private Client Services practice focuses on the individual client’s comprehensive estate and succession planning beginning with representation in the negotiation of executive compensation arrangements and employment agreements while utilizing an inclusive approach so to ensure the compensation structure along with retirement planning is thoughtfully incorporated into and complements the individual’s broader trust and estate plan.
Recognition & Honors
- Articles Editor & Administrative Council; Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, 2009-2010
- Associate Articles Editor; Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, 2008-2009
Associations
- Virginia Bar Association
- The ESOP Association; Legislative & Regulatory Committee Member; Mid-Atlantic Chapter, Vice President – Legislative and Regulatory Matters; Executive Committee Member
- Professional Services Council (PSC); Member
- Exit Planning Exchange (XPX); Maryland Chapter Member
- National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO); Member
- Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC); Member
Presentations
- Designing the Company's President's Performance Review - March, 2020
- Boards of Directors and Trustees Roles in ESOP Companies Part 1 - November, 2019
- ESOP Company Governance 101 - September, 2019
- SBA Loans for ESOP Transactions - April, 2019
- ESOPS and Benefit Corporations - April, 2019
- Distribution Dilemmas - March, 2019
- Administration and Communication Committees: How to Create and Use Them Effectively – November, 2018
- We’ve Just Completed our ESOP Transaction… Now What? - October, 2018
- Key Executive Compensation in ESOP Companies - October, 2018
- ESOPs in Business Succession and Estate Planning - April, 2018
- ESOP Check-up: Legal and Valuation Considerations for Mature ESOPs - March, 2018
- Boards of Directors' and Trustees' Roles in ESOP Companies: Part 2 (Advanced) - November, 2017
- Protecting Your Company from Legal Problems - October, 2017
- The ESOP's Role in Business Succession and Estate Planning - April, 2017
- Process & Decision Making of the ESOP Administration Committee - March, 2017
- Process & Decision Making of the ESOP Administration Committee - November, 2016
- Executive Compensation in ESOP Transactions and ESOP Companies - October, 2016
- Key Executive Compensation in ESOP Companies - September, 2016
- ESOP Companies Advantage in Making Acquisitions - May, 2016
- ESOP 101 (For Non-ESOP Companies) - March, 2016
- ESOP 101 (For ESOP Companies) - March, 2016
- ESOPs as Legacy and Liquidity Vehicles For Company Owners - September, 2015
- The Impact of Plan Design and Operations on Ownership Culture - September, 2015
- Boards of Directors' and Trustees' Roles in ESOP Companies - March, 2015
- Distributions, Diversification, and Segregation Challenges - October, 2014
Education
- University of Virginia; B.A., 2007
- University of Richmond School of Law; J.D., cum laude, 2010
Press & Publications
- ESOP Client Alert – Game Changer: 100% ESOP-Owned Government Contractors Eligible for Sole Source Awards on Follow-On Contracts
- Defense Client Alert – CARES Act Section 3610 Provides Relief for Government Contractors
- Private Client Services Update – Relief for Student Debt Because the Government CARES (Act)
- Commercial Client Alert
- ESOP Client Alert – March 2020 > The CARES Act
- Corporate and Business Law
- Main Street Employee Ownership Act Signed into Law
- Christopher L. McLean Named Member at Kaufman & Canoles