R. Andrew Richards focuses on corporate and commercial transactions, including various forms of commercial lending, private equity and venture capital investments, mergers and acquisitions and general commercial matters. His clients include public and private business entities as well as major financial institutions.
Mr. Richards represents numerous financial institutions and borrowers in complex debt financing transactions, including senior secured credit facilities, syndicated loans, asset-based working capital facilities, subordinated debt and mezzanine financing, New Markets Tax Credit leverage loans, acquisition financing and dividend recaps. He has also advised clients with respect to trade finance matters.
In the areas of private equity and venture capital, he advises funds and emerging growth companies in leveraged and management buyouts, joint ventures and strategic partnerships. A significant portion of his practice involves representing major public and private investors acquiring limited partnership interests in private equity funds and includes the analysis and negotiation of fund documents and side letters.
Mr. Richards has in-depth knowledge of the food and beverage industry. He has worked with clients forming strategic alliances and joint ventures and has documented a large variety of commercial agreements used in the industry, including supply and distribution agreements, intellectual property licenses and packing agreements.
As a member of the firm’s International Practice Group, he regularly advises clients with respect to cross border transactions and contractual and corporate matters. His clients have included major European, Middle Eastern and Indian multinational companies.
Prior to joining McCarter & English, Mr. Richards was an associate in the capital markets group at Sidley Austin Brown & Wood, LLP, in New York, where he handled public and private offerings of debt and equity securities and securitizations. He also lived in the central African nation of Cameroon for over two years, where he was an advisor to that country's emerging banking system. Drawing on that experience, he represents a major financial institution with respect to its impact investment portfolio, including its equity investments in social impact private equity funds. He represented that client in its involvement with one of the first microfinance investment funds.
Mr. Richards has lectured and written articles on various legal and financial issues. He is active in many community and nonprofit organizations. He is an accomplished scuba diver and has travelled far and wide to see some of the world’s best marine ecosystems. He is currently studying to be a private pilot.
R. Andrew Richards and Ralph Delouis were interviewed by Thompson Reuters concerning access to credit in Haiti in an article entitled "Pro Bono Lawyers Help Haiti Quake Survivors Get Loans."
Andrew Richards quoted in the New Jersey Business article, "Foreign Affairs: New Jersey is a great place to test the waters of international trade."