Chris LeWand leads the Power, Renewables & Utilities practice and is an expert in providing strategic and financial planning, performance improvement services, troubled company evaluation and restructuring, interim management services, M&A advisory, dispute and forensic advisory, and valuation.
Mr. LeWand is an expert providing troubled company evaluation and restructuring, interim management services (CEO / CRO / CFO), mergers & acquisition advisory, strategic and financial planning, performance improvement services, dispute and forensic advisory, valuation, and merger integration planning and execution. Mr. LeWand has led many cases for utilities, conventional and renewable power fuel sources as well as enabling technologies.
Mr. LeWand has managed a wide range of cases for clients in both formal bankruptcy proceedings and out-of-court restructurings. Related services have included development and review of business plans, leading performance improvement initiatives, valuations, liquidation analyses, competitive benchmarking, distressed asset and business marketing and sales, management of operations and segment closures, renegotiation of credit facilities, company monitoring and development and implementation of cash management programs.
Many clients have been assisted in developing and implementing new business models and approaches through strategic advisory services. This has included foreign and domestic entrants seeking to consider macro competitive, regulatory and general market dynamics as well as situation and entity specific considerations where key levers of challenge and success required careful analysis and consideration in order to drive optionality and optimized results.
Mr. LeWand has served as financial advisor on all aspects of M&A transactions, including, buy / sell mandates and capital raises; accounting, financial and operational due diligence; identification of acquisition targets; analysis of financial and operational synergies in potential mergers and preparation and negotiation of bids and acquisition agreements on both distressed and healthy investments. Merger integration advisory work has been performed on major business combinations and the roles have included running PMOs and sitting as a member of Executive Steering Committees.
Mr. LeWand has provided expert witness testimony and assisted clients with disputes in various capacities in over 50 cases, including as an industry expert, in the calculation of damages related to fraud, regarding valuation issues and in his role as CRO in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. This has included providing reports and consulting services as an industry expert, regarding valuation issues, contract and purchase price disputes, business interruption claims, intellectual property disputes, forensic audits, anti-trust litigation and professional malpractice claims and construction claims. Mr. LeWand also co-developed the CLE seminar, “Economic Damages, Litigating and proving Business Losses.”
Mr. LeWand has served on boards, acted as board advisor, and taken roles as interim management such as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Private Equity Fund Managing Director for multi-$billion enterprises. The result is consulting and advisory services which come from the perspective of someone who knows what it means to be held accountable for critical decisions and the rigor required to generate the highest likelihood of success.
Mr. LeWand began his career in the audit and business consulting practices at Arthur Andersen.