Ropes & Gray has added Matt Richards as a new partner in its private equity practice. “Matt’s demonstrated credibility with leading Chicago-based private equity sponsors and his experience with complex, cutting-edge deals makes him a great addition to our private equity practice,” said Ropes & Gray Chicago managing partner Jim Lidbury. “We are excited that he is joining the firm as we continue to build the services we provide clients in Chicago and throughout the Midwest.”
Mr. Richards was formerly a partner at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago. He has worked with many Chicago-based private equity sponsors in structuring, negotiating, and closing an array of acquisition, financing and restructuring transactions. He also regularly counsels clients on governance, compliance, and reporting issues.
“I am thrilled to join the elite private equity team at Ropes & Gray,” said Mr. Richards. “The firm’s global reputation for excellent work in the private equity practice first attracted me to Ropes & Gray. The strength of the Chicago team and its focus on collaboration and client service made my decision easy.”
Mr. Richards is the 14th partner to join the firm’s 39-lawyer Chicago office since it was founded in 2008. Ropes & Gray has consistently been ranked one of the world’s leading law firms for private equity. Law360, the online outlet for legal news and analysis, named Ropes & Gray’s private equity group “Practice of the Year” for 2011 based on the firm’s work on a number of significant deals.
Ropes & Gray is a global law firm with more than 1,100 lawyers and professionals. The firm provides clients with execution of their transactions from offices in London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Silicon Valley. The firm’s specialties include private equity, M&A, finance, investment management, hedge funds, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation, securities litigation and government enforcement (www.ropesgray.com).
