Chris Bates

Chris advises venture capital, private equity and other investment firms on all aspects of their businesses, including forming investment funds and accounts, fund regulatory and compliance matters, complex business transactions, and firm ownership and operational issues. He spends most of his time partnering with investment firms that are raising new funds – advising on market trends and fundraising strategies, designing optimized fund legal documents, collaborating with prospective investors to resolve their comments and questions, and ensuring that the fundraise process runs efficiently. Chris has represented investment firms on the fundraising of venture capital and other funds with total capital commitments exceeding $40 billion.

Chris represents a number of top and established venture capital and private equity firms, as well as emerging fund managers in their journeys to become the market leaders of the future. Before joining Cooley, Chris was an associate in the fund formation group at Gunderson in Boston.

While attending law school, Chris worked as a paralegal at a leading business immigration law firm.