Robert Chidester offers a unique perspective to his legal practice, drawing on his background in finance. Having raised a private equity fund, Rob has experience on both sides of the table, which allows him to offer clients a deeper understanding of the strategic, financial, and legal considerations that drive significant capital raises and complex transactions. Before rejoining private practice, he served as general counsel for a large family office, worked on the first raise of capital for an energy-focused private equity fund, and has worked in all aspects of the energy industry. His approach to client service combines technical expertise with a business-oriented mindset, helping clients achieve their goals with precision and efficiency.
Rob provides strategic counsel to investment firms, family offices and middle-market businesses in the United States and abroad on a range of corporate matters, including capital raises, private equity and venture capital fund formation, securities issuances, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial contracts. He also regularly serves as an outside general counsel, advising on both complex transactions and routine operational matters.
Rob has extensive experience helping clients manage strategic technology assets, especially in matters relating to “clean tech,” ESG, machine learning and generative AI matters. He also represents clients in the cryptocurrency space that provide software products, consulting, and other services, with a specific concentration in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space.
He also has experience in managing intellectual property acquisitions/divestments, as well as international patent registration strategies, and he has worked with clients in the acquisition of distressed assets through the bankruptcy process.
Some of Rob’s more recent successful transactions involving private equity and venture capital investments in technology companies include:
- Assisting family offices in clean energy technology investments or ESG funds, with an investment valuation of $100 million
- Structuring/forming a syndicate investment group for purpose of deploying approximately $100 million of capital into clean energy projects
- Managing three rounds of cross-border investments of $30-40 million total into lithium-ion battery technology company
- Helping several family offices, funds and entrepreneurs make cryptocurrency investments ranging between $50-100 million, primarily in the decentralized finance space
- Representing the lead investor in a $20 million investment into a nickel-zinc battery technology company
Before he started practicing law, Rob previously served as a financial and policy analyst with the U.S. Department of Energy's Laboratory System. There, he evaluated energy technology research and energy infrastructure projects in China and Northeast Asia. As noted above, Rob maintains his involvement in the energy industry, working with both financing parties and operating companies in the clean energy, environmental and social consciousness industries on matters related to waste heat recapture, energy storage and solar energy.
Rob was named a "Notable Rising Star in Law" for 2021 by Crain's Chicago Business.
