Lewis & Clark Students Advance to Elite 8 in National M&A Competition

Lewis & Clark law students Chris Timmer ’26 and Charlie Morris ’26, coached by Bonnie Page, co-founder of Macro Law Group, have advanced to the Elite 8 of the ABA Business Law Section’s MAC Cup II competition. This event is designed to hone students’ transactional law skills. Competing against a field of 64 teams from 46 law schools across the U.S. and Canada, the duo’s exceptional performance in earlier rounds secured their spot in the next stage of this highly competitive negotiation challenge.

This is the first time Lewis & Clark Law School had a team in a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) or transactional competition.

The MAC Cup II, launched by the ABA Business Law Section’s Mergers & Acquisitions Committee, provides law students with a unique opportunity to practice mergers and acquisitions. Participants gain practical experience and a deep understanding of M&A concepts through simulated negotiations and acquisition agreement markups. Competing schools in this year’s Elite 8 include Yale, Georgetown, Duke, and the University of Toronto.

The competition began on October 26, 2024, and Chris and Charlie have progressed through two rigorous virtual rounds. The Elite 8 quarterfinals will take place virtually on January 25, 2025. From there, the top four teams will earn an expense-paid trip to Laguna Beach, California, to compete in the in-person semifinals and finals on January 30–31 at the M&A Committee’s annual meeting.

“I am very excited about Chris and Charlie’s success in this prestigious invitational! Getting to the Elite 8 outstanding!” said Susan Felstiner, a clinical professor of law at Lewis & Clark Law School’s Small Business Legal Clinic. “Their hard work in mastering M&A concepts and Bonnie’s dedicated coaching have achieved great results for which all of Lewis & Clark Law School can be proud.”

If Chris and Charlie advance to the Final Four, they will join a distinguished group of finalists and have the opportunity to showcase their skills on a national stage. We wish them the best of luck in the upcoming round!