Alex Travis headshot
Alex Keith Travis
+1.904.798.7208

Overview

Alexander Travis is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Jacksonville office and a member of the Corporate, M&A and Securities Section. His practice focuses on securities and capital markets, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), advising emerging growth companies and startups, data center development, digital assets and blockchain technology, corporate governance and taxation.

Mr. Travis has acted as principal counsel for more than $3 billion in public and private capital raises and as principal and associate counsel for more than $1 billion in M&A transactions. His experience includes advising Nasdaq- and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-listed public companies on U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) periodic reporting and disclosure requirements, navigating proxy and other shareholder matters, executive compensation, board and corporate governance, and stock exchange listing and compliance matters.

Mr. Travis has significant experience representing clients through all stages of data center development and operations, having served as primary legal counsel for the development of more than 4.5 gigawatts (GW) of hyperscale and smaller-scale data center projects across multiple states. He has assisted clients in negotiating, securing and maintaining numerous power purchase and procurement agreements (PPAs), interconnection and interruptible load resource agreements, construction and development agreements, equipment supply agreements, cross-border chip and server manufacturing and supply agreements, as well as tax and other incentive agreements.

Mr. Travis also advises data center operators and customers on hosting and co-location agreements, service-level agreements (SLAs) and disputes involving customers and service providers.

In addition, Mr. Travis advises clients on digital assets and blockchain technology matters, including initial coin offerings (ICOs) and other private and public capital raises, the structuring of tokenized platforms, utility token launches and compliance with applicable U.S. regulatory regimes.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Travis held senior in-house legal positions, including chief legal officer for a data center development company, senior securities counsel for a video game payments company, and senior vice president and deputy general counsel of a Nasdaq-listed data center and digital infrastructure company.

Representative Experience

  • Represented a Nasdaq-listed data center and digital infrastructure company in continuous at-the-market equity offerings raising more than $1.5 billion to support the company's data center developments, strategic acquisitions and overall operations
  • Represented a global technology and digital payments company in its $500 million exempt private offering of convertible notes in connection with a major platform expansion
  • Represented a global technology and digital payments company in its $200 million initial public offering (IPO) of an industry-focused special purpose acquisition company (SPAC)
  • Represented a private data center development company in a $100 million go-public transaction and related private investment in public equity (PIPE), including the design and implementation of a tax-efficient umbrella partnership C corporation (Up-C) structure
  • Represented a Nasdaq-listed client in negotiations with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Division of Corporate Finance, Division of Enforcement and Office of the Chief Accountant, as well as with Nasdaq, to successfully prevent the suspension of trading
  • Advised a Nasdaq-listed data center company on SEC periodic reporting, including annual, quarterly and current reports, risk factor disclosures and proxy statements, as well as the design and implementation of improved internal controls and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance procedures

  • Represented a Nasdaq-listed data center and digital infrastructure company in its $651 million acquisition of a data center developer and operator and its associated 400 megawatts (MW) data center project in Texas
  • Represented a private environmental services company in a roll-up acquisition strategy, advising on more than $250 million in acquisitions over a multiyear period in preparation for a merger with a New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-listed strategic acquirer
  • Represented a Nasdaq-listed data center and digital infrastructure company in its $92.5 million acquisition of a regional data center developer and operator with 100 MW of data center capacity
  • Represented a Nasdaq-listed data center company in its $50 million acquisition of an electrical equipment manufacturer in support of the company's vertical integration strategy
  • Represented a regional restaurant company in its $36 million sale to a publicly traded national restaurant operator, including negotiating the buyout of various franchisees and minority interest holders
  • Advised a software company in its sale to a private investment group, including complex exit and tax planning for the company's principals
  • Represented the purchasers in the acquisition of a regional medical practice group
  • Represented a regional fitness company in a restructuring and sale

  • Represented a Nasdaq-listed data center company in securing long-term strategic supply partnership agreements valued at more than $500 million for data center development and operations with domestic and international suppliers, including on-site inspections of production facilities in the U.S. and Asia to support sanctions and customs compliance
  • Advised a data center development company in structuring cross-border server supply agreements and equipment financing transactions valued at more than $100 million to optimize capital efficiency while ensuring timely achievement of development milestones
  • Represented a Nasdaq-listed data center company in a colocation agreement with a leading semiconductor and technology company, including a site acquisition and development project with significant future expansion optionality
  • Represented a Nasdaq-listed data center and digital infrastructure company in the development of more than 4 gigawatts (GW) of hyperscale data center projects in Texas and more than 500 megawatts (MW) of smaller-scale data centers across the Midwest, including initial site acquisitions, real estate and land use matters, and construction and equipment supply agreements
  • Represented a Nasdaq-listed data center company in the negotiation of more than 2 GW of utility-scale power purchase and procurement agreements (PPAs), International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) agreements, and distribution and generation infrastructure development agreements across multiple utility providers
  • Represented a Nasdaq-listed data center company in a cross-border manufacturing joint venture with a U.S. manufacturer and an Asia-based design partner on nearshoring and onshoring critical data center infrastructure components
  • Represented a data center development company in a cross-border chip design and hardware manufacturing agreement with international design and manufacturing partners to develop proprietary computing hardware

  • Represented a global technology and digital payments company in its $1 billion launch of a proprietary digital token platform, including structuring digital marketplace tools to comply with applicable securities regulations and ensuring compliance with United States, United Kingdom and European Union regulatory regimes
  • Advised a global technology and digital payments company in structuring a tokenized platform enabling participating partners to create and deploy proprietary digital tokens, as well as ensuring compliance with applicable money transmission and international regulatory requirements
  • Advised the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) in connection with the adoption of mark-to-market accounting standards for digital currency assets held by PCAOB-audited companies, which was subsequently incorporated into U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)

  • Represented a data center company in negotiating state-level voluntary disclosure agreements to resolve significant historical sales and use tax noncompliance, resulting in the elimination of more than $11 million in potential penalties and interest
  • Represented a data center company in resolving significant historical property tax noncompliance through negotiations with state and county officials, avoiding all penalties and interest and preserving the client's continued avoidance of more than $10 million in sales and use tax through applicable data center tax exemptions
  • Advised a Nasdaq-listed data center company on tax compliance and optimization, securing numerous state and local tax incentives for key development projects through direct negotiations with taxing authorities
  • Represented a multistate professional employer organization in employment and payroll tax compliance matters, negotiating directly with state taxing authorities to resolve multijurisdictional withholding and remittance issues
  • Represented a multilocation regional restaurant enterprise through a complex tax-free reorganization in advance of a planned sale to a publicly traded acquirer
  • Advised a medical device manufacturing company in connection with a cross-border corporate inversion, balancing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliance interests with business and tax objectives
  • Advised a technology company on state sales and use tax implications of selling software-as-a-service (SaaS) cross-border following a U.S. Supreme Court decision
  • Advised a regional landowner on tax minimization strategies and corporate structuring for the formation of a Qualified Opportunity Zone joint venture

Credentials

Education
  • University of Florida Levin College of Law, LL.M., Taxation
  • University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D.
  • University of Florida, B.A., Political Science
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Florida
Memberships
  • The Florida Bar, Tax Section
  • The Florida Bar, Business Law Section
  • Jacksonville Bar Association
  • First Coast YMCA, Winston Branch YMCA, Advisory Board Member

Publications

Speaking Engagements