Overview
Christopher McLean specializes in employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), sports and entertainment law, and corporate transactions, delivering strategic counsel to business owners, athletes, entertainers, and executives seeking sophisticated legal solutions for complex ownership transitions and wealth preservation.
Christopher is a Member and key leader at Kaufman & Canoles, where he chairs the Sports & Entertainment Team and serves as Chair of the Firm’s Technology Committee. He delivers strategic legal counsel that seamlessly integrates corporate law expertise with specialized knowledge in employee ownership transitions and sports & entertainment industry deals.
Christopher's unique approach combines sophisticated corporate governance with innovative succession planning, helping clients navigate complex transactions while maximizing value and minimizing risk.
Christopher partners with forward-thinking business owners, corporate executives, athletes, entertainers, and high-net-worth professionals who demand sophisticated legal strategies. He guides corporations through transformative ownership transitions—from leveraged buyouts and stock repurchases to ESOP implementations—while helping individual clients structure compensation packages, endorsement deals, and estate plans that protect wealth and create lasting value. Whether it's a family business planning succession or a professional athlete negotiating a career-defining contract, Christopher provides the strategic insight that turns complex challenges into competitive advantages.
Christopher has built a distinctive practice at the intersection of corporate law, employee ownership, and sports & entertainment. His ESOP expertise encompasses the complete lifecycle—from initial design and implementation to ongoing compliance and optimization—representing both company sponsors and independent trustees. In the sports and entertainment arena, he leverages deep corporate and M&A experience to structure deals that protect clients' interests while maximizing opportunities. His estate planning practice is uniquely tailored to athletes, entertainers, and executives, ensuring that compensation structures and wealth preservation strategies work in concert to build and protect generational wealth.
As a Member of Kaufman & Canoles, Chair of the Sports & Entertainment Team, Chair of the firm’s Technology Committee, and Director of ESOP Strategies, LLC, Christopher leads from the front in two of the firm's most specialized practice areas. These leadership roles reflect not just his technical expertise, but his proven ability to deliver results in complex, high-stakes transactions. His dual leadership positions position him as the go-to attorney for clients who need both corporate sophistication and industry-specific knowledge.
Christopher's track record spans fifteen years of successfully guiding clients through high-stakes transactions. His ESOP practice has facilitated over one hundred employee ownership transitions, representing companies ranging from 10-1,200 employees with valuations from $1.5 million to $250 million. These transactions have created substantial value for both selling shareholders and employee-owners, with close to a billion dollars in wealth transfer facilitated.
In the sports and entertainment sector, Christopher has negotiated professional contracts, endorsement agreements, business partnerships, production deals and professional sports league formations. His clients include professional athletes and coaches, professional sports leagues and teams, investors, and entertainment industry professionals.
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Representative Matters
ESOP Representative Matters:
Advised ESOP-owned government contractor on acquisitions of companies in values ranging from $25 M to $75 M
Represented ESOP-owned Shipyard staffing company in $220 M sale to private equity buyer
Represented ESOP-owned Navy Ship Repair Yard in $130 M sale to private equity buyer
Advised selling shareholders and board of directors of Aviation Training Module Manufacturer on ESOP feasibility and establishment of ESOP and sale of 100% of stock to the ESOP in $100 M transaction
Advised selling shareholders and board of directors of Navy Ship Repair Yard on ESOP feasibility and establishment of ESOP and sale of 100% of stock to the ESOP
Counseled Ship Painting and Blasting Company and shareholders in establishment of ESOP, sale of 100% of stock to ESOP for $52 M in Bank and Seller financed transaction; thereafter Company became tax exempt ESOP-owned S corp.
Merged two 100% ESOP-owned companies into holding company (and merged ESOPs) in order to take advantage of companies’ complimentary lines of work and client bases
Advised communications firm and shareholders in moving to 100% ESOP status, in transaction valued at $26 M
Represented board of directors in sale of 100% ESOP-owned international manufacturing company to a Fortune 100 strategic buyer for $135 M following auction process
Counseled trust company on long-term plan for ESOP to purchase minority interests from non-employee stockholders
Advised NASA contractor on establishment of ESOP and stock sale to ESOP in 1042 gain-rollover transaction
Counseled debt collection agency on establishment of ESOP and 100% stock purchase by ESOP
Organized tax-free corporate split-off of two operating subsidiaries from ESOP-owned company into separate ESOP-owned companies in order to maintain small-business government contractor status of each
Represented software company on plan of shareholder redemptions and ESOP stock contributions in light of company’s employee benefits and executive compensation strategy
Advised board of directors on sale of 100% ESOP-owned shipyard to private equity firm, and termination of ESOP thereafter
Structured sale of financial services firm to ESOP in a 1042 gain-rollover transaction
Sports Law Representative Matters:
Advised and represented professional sports leagues on entity formation, league negotiations with teams/franchises, and contract disputes
Represented local music festival in contract disputes
Advised on music festival risk management and independent contractor acquisition
Employment contract reviews and advisement for university coaches
Negotiated playing contracts for professional athletes
Negotiated endorsement deals for Olympic and professional athletes
Non-profit formation for club sports teams
Represented investors buying and selling minor league baseball and hockey franchises
Entity formation and representation of university-sponsored sports camp
U.S. Center for SafeSport and National Governing Body membership appeal representation
College and university scholarship and disciplinary appeals
Defense of student-athletes and college athletic department staff facing criminal charges
Represented investors in bids and development proposals for professional sports expansion franchises
Negotiated movie development deal for writers
Recognition & Honors
Honors & Recognitions
Virginia’s Legal Elite; Virginia Business Magazine, 2024-2025
Top Lawyers; CoVaBIZ Magazine, 2023, 2025
Articles Editor & Administrative Council; Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, 2009-2010
Associate Articles Editor; Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, 2008-2009
Press & Publications
News
Speaking Engagements
Community & Professional
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
Credentials
Education
University of Virginia; B.A., 2007
University of Richmond School of Law; J.D., cum laude, 2010
Beyond the Law
Away from practicing law, Christopher channels his leadership and strategic thinking into developing the next generation of athletes as a youth soccer coach with the Juventus Academy of DC Metro. His commitment to community impact extends through his role as founder and director of the non-profit Fino Alla Fine Foundation, where he works to remove barriers and create pathways for young athletes and coaches who face financial or logistical challenges in accessing soccer opportunities. This dedication to mentorship, strategic development, and creating access where none existed before reflects the same values Christopher brings to his legal practice—identifying obstacles, developing innovative solutions, and ensuring his clients have every advantage needed to succeed.
Presentations
Negotiating an ESOP Transaction: Review of the Term Sheet – October, 2024 & May, 2025
Exit Options for Business Owners – March, 2024
Succession Planning with Life Insurance – October, 2023
Practical Advice: Basics of Sports and Entertainment Law CLE – June, 2023
Navigating the Storm: Leadership During Crisis Situations – May, 2023
Practical Advice: Basics of Sports and Entertainment Law CLE – March, 2023
What Hat Am I Wearing? – March, 2023
Evaluating and Responding to Offers in a Planned Sale or Unsolicited Offer – November, 2022
Estate Planning for Rising Interest Rates and Required Minimum Distributions – October, 2022
What to Expect When Working With an Outside Board Member - September, 2022
How to Conduct an Engaging Annual Shareholders Meeting - May, 2022
Creating a Clean Board Member Job Description and Onboarding Process for ESOP Companies - March, 2022
Designing the President’s Performance Review - September, 2021
Understanding Board Litigation and Mitigation - June 2021
HR – What You Need to Know in the COVID Era - September 2020
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
