Law Practice
Christine’s law practice is focused on (i) real estate sales, acquisitions, development, and leasing; (ii) term and revolving credit agreements in secured and unsecured loan transactions; equipment leases; negotiation of ISDA documentation for commodities, FX and interest rate hedging; problem loan restructures; and real-estate secured finance transactions; and (iii) entity selection and formation of corporations, LLCs and partnerships; day-to-day advice related to entity operations, business licensing and maintenance; Board of Directors and senior leadership advice and support; minutes, annual reports, policy development and compliance review; contracts; and copyright and trademark protection (including Madrid Protocol filings for international trademarks).
Chambers USA described Christine as a “standout lawyer” “praised for her blend of commerciality and pragmatism” and a lawyer who “impresses with her direct yet personable manner and business acumen,” and noted that “Peers praise her ‘high-quality work,’ and clients enthuse that she is ‘knowledgeable, hard-working, sharp and articulate’” and “She is a topnotch real estate lawyer who is well liked and well respected.”
Representative Matters
Real Estate – Projects involving construction, financing (construction, take-out and non-recourse refinancing) and operation of:
- retail shopping centers and mixed-use shopping centers
- condominiumized project composed of a 4-star hotel, residential condominiums, health club, events center with hospitality suites, restaurants and public parking garage
- franchised hotels, including documentation of ground leases, related restaurant build-to-suit leases, and construction and take-out financing (including a non-recourse securitized bond financing)
- private twin-rink skating facility with food court tenants and space-use licensees
Negotiation and documentation of AIA and ConsensusDocs agreements with architect and contractor in connection with development of new $15 million building and renovations to existing building improvements.
Negotiation and documentation of terms of ground leases, build-to-suit leases, renovate-to-suit leases with parties such as national pharmacy tenants, quick-serve restaurant tenants, office tenants and retail tenants.
Legal support to residential and commercial master planned subdivision, including covenant preparation for 24 residential subdivision phases and commercial components, development of common area maintenance agreements and form residential lot reservation and purchase agreements, negotiation and closing of commercial purchase agreements, build-to-suit leases, in-line retail leases, and pad site leases.
Legal support to a mixed-use renovated warehouse development, including development of form leases for office tenants, retail tenants and restaurant tenants; negotiate leases with local and national tenants.
Credit Agreements/Loan Workouts – Negotiate and document terms of secured and unsecured credit facilities involving revolving credits, term loans, equipment lines and acquisition loans. Agricultural and real estate development loan restructurings and deeds in lieu of foreclosure. Negotiate terms of multi-million dollar syndicated revolving credit agreements and term loans to finance operations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and China. Lender representation in connection with numerous loan transactions, including operating loans to food processors, aquaculture operations, auto and heavy equipment flooring lines, and construction loans to commercial and residential real estate developers.
Equipment Leases – Negotiate terms of equipment leases, including a $200MM leveraged lease of chemical production plant and other leveraged leases, synthetic leases and operating leases of equipment such as rolling stock, railroad tank cars, food processing line equipment, and corn flaking equipment.
Private Note Placements – Negotiate terms of multi-million dollar private note placements for the issuer and act as transfer agent for the administration of the issued registered notes.
ISDA Master and Hedging Agreements – Negotiate and document terms for Schedules, Credit Support Annexes and other documents related to ISDA Master Agreements to support hedging of commodities risk (natural gas, diesel fuel, cooking oils), interest rate risk, and FX risk, negotiate related master netting agreements and novation agreements and advise on swap provisions of Dodd-Frank and related regulations. Negotiate and document hedging agreement related to Yen currency fluctuations in connection with long-term purchase agreement with Japanese customer.
Mergers &Acqusitions –
- acquisition of ammonia manufacturing plant in Italy and its disassembly, shipment to and refurbishment in Texas, and shipment to, reassembly and modification in Canada, and the related negotiation and implementation of engineering and construction services agreements
- stock redemption and recapitalization transactions for client in the milk products industry
- sale of Canadian subsidiary, involving the inter-company transfer of assets of a multi-million dollar potato processing business unit and obtaining related third-party consents
- acquisition of membership interests in Mexican fruit producer
- sporting goods manufacturer’s acquisitions of competitive/accretive protective eyewear and footwear businesses
- leveraged management buy-out of a building materials division, involving 19 stores and related plants/yards in 6 states
- leveraged management buy-out of a coated paper manufacturing division
- acquisition of a frozen potato products manufacturing company
- acquisition of assets related to a horticultural-products retail distribution business with assets in 14 states
- acquisition of turf seed assets and intellectual property (including PVP varieties and applications) out of the bankruptcy of a turf-seed company, involving assets located in multiple states and forming a tri-party buying group
- sale of pallet manufacturing company and lease of related properties
Speaking Engagements
- TO LEASE OR NOT TO LEASE! Considerations for the Construction Financial Manager When Leasing Equipment, April 2016, Construction Financial Management Association, Idaho Chapter.
- The Legal Side of Agriculture: Agricultural Use of Drones, Feb 2015, Leadership Idaho Agriculture. The Legal Side of Agriculture: Farm Leases, Feb 2015, Leadership Idaho Agriculture.
- The JOBS Act and Capital Raising: An Overview of Rule 506(c) and Reg-A Offerings, Nov 2014, ACC Mountain West Chapter and Oct 2014, Boise Angel Alliance.
- International Data Privacy Protection Laws – A Select Survey, Aug 2014, ACC Mountain West Chapter and Jan 2013, Idaho State Bar International Law Section.
- Minutes Matter: Practical Tips for Drafting Minutes and Resolutions, May 2014, Idaho State Bar Business and Corporate Law Section.
- Private International Law: An Overview, Feb 2014, Idaho State Bar International Law Section.
- The ABCs of the CISG: Comparing the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods to UCC Article 2, Feb. 2014, ACC Mountain West Chapter.
- The Legal Side of Agriculture: Choice of Business Entity, Feb. 2014, Leadership Idaho Agriculture.
- Real Property Law for Appraisers, Jan 2014, American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers Idaho-Utah Chapter.
- Innovation and the Law: Entering New Markets – from Commercializing to Internationalizing, Nov 2011, Small Business Development Center, Boise State University.
- Drafting the Deal: UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods Compared to Article 2 of Idaho’s UCC, Aug 2011, Idaho State Bar International Law Section.
- Equipment Leasing, May 2005, Idaho State Bar Business and Corporate Law Section.
- Difficult Issues for Business Lawyers, May 2002, Idaho State Bar Business and Corporate Law Section
Publications
- “Minutes Matter: Practical Tips for Drafting Minutes and Resolutions,” May 2014, Idaho State Bar Business and Corporate Law Section seminar course materials.
- “Business Without Borders: International Law for the Idaho Lawyer – Drafting the Deal: UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods Compared to Article 2 of Idaho’s UCC,” Aug 2011, Idaho State Bar International Law Section seminar course materials.
- “A Comparison of the UN Convention for the International Sale of Goods and Idaho’s Uniform Commercial Code,” The Advocate, Vol. 52, No. 9, Sep 2009.
- “Teach an Old UCC Dog New Tricks, An overview of the U.N. Convention on the International Sale of Goods,” Business Law Today, Vol. 18, No. 1, Sep/Oct 2008.
- “What is a Business Lawyer?” The Advocate, Vol. 49, No. 9, Oct 2006.
- “Article 2A – Equipment Leasing,” May 2005, Idaho State Bar Business and Corporate Law Section continuing legal education seminar course materials.
- “What’s a Director to do?” The Advocate, Vol. 49, No. 9 Oct 2006.\
- “Negotiating Difficult Clauses in Business Agreements,” May 2002, Idaho State Bar Business and Corporate Law Section seminar course materials
Community Involvement & Personal
Christine serves on the board of Go Lead Idaho, a non-profit formed to support and train women in leadership skills and positions. Christine serves as a governing council member on the Idaho State Bar Real Estate Practice Section, where she is past chair of the Business and Corporate Law Section and past chair of the former International Law Section. She serves as State Chair for the American College of Mortgage Attorneys where she also serves as co-chair on its Attorney Opinions Committee. She is active on the attorney opinions committees and leasing committees of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association, the Real Property, Trust and Estates Section of the American Bar Association, and the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
When Christine is not practicing law, she enjoys riding her Arabian horses and practicing agility work with her Aussie-Border collies.