Matt Richards is a partner in Ropes & Gray’s private equity transactions group in Chicago. He is a versatile practitioner who represents a diverse set of clients in an equally diverse spectrum of transactions and industries. The breadth of his practice enables him to bring an exceptionally well-informed perspective to transactional matters.
Matt principally advises private equity funds, their portfolio companies, large family offices, and private and public companies on a variety of complex transactions. His work encompasses large-cap and middle-market leveraged acquisitions, growth equity and venture financing transactions, dispositions, restructuring transactions, and strategic acquisitions. Beyond transactions, he advises clients on governance, management compensation and equity arrangements, and compliance matters.
Clients particularly appreciate Matt’s ability to assess the complexities of a transaction and find a way forward that works for all parties. “He is able to balance the legal risks with the business objective of getting the transaction done,” notes Chambers. “He’s a pragmatic and responsive attorney.”
Matt’s creative problem solving has benefited clients in a wide variety of industries, including telecommunications, life sciences, software, business services, consumer products, manufacturing, and distribution. He has particularly extensive experience with financial services transactions, including those involving insurance brokers, broker-dealers, advisers to registered and unregistered funds, and other asset managers.
Experience
Matt’s experience includes representing:
- Advent International in its acquisitions of Genoa, Ansira Partners, Walmart Brazil, AccentCare, Aimbridge Hospitality, Nielsen Global Connect, and the BioPharma Solutions business of Baxter, its minority investment in Fisher Investments, as well as Aimbridge Hospitality’s acquisition of Interstate Hotels & Resorts, the combination of Nielsen Global Connect with GfK, and the sale of Grupo CRM to Nestle.
- Gauge Capital in its acquisitions of Wireless Vision, Infosoft (n/k/a Circa), Miami Beach Medical Group, TVC Enterprises, Irth Solutions, Schlesinger Group, NINJIO, Centegix, 7 Mindsets, Exigo, Exact Customer, Streamline Healthcare Solutions, Loving Tan, Engine Transmission & Exchange, Craftable, and AGT Robotics; numerous subsequent add-on transactions by Gauge Capital portfolio companies; and several sale transactions, including the sale of Teachers of Tomorrow to TPG Capital’s Rise Fund, the sale of Irth Solutions to Blackstone Energy Partners, the sale of Circa to Mitratech, and the sale of TVC to Love’s.
- CIVC Partners in its acquisitions of KPA Services, Magna Legal Services, Specialized Elevator Services, Crest Insurance Group, Young & Associates, 829 Studios, Continuum Companies, Allata, and Industrial Networking Solutions; its significant minority investment in Signers National; numerous subsequent add-on transactions by CIVC portfolio companies; and several sale transactions, including the sale of Young & Associates to THL Capital, Specialized Elevator Services to 3Phase Elevator, Magna Legal Services to Odyssey Investment Partners, KPA Services to Providence Equity Partners.
- Sixth Street in its Series D investment in Caris and its Series C investment in ConcertAI.
- Madison Dearborn Partners in its acquisitions of National Financial Partners and Multi Packaging Solutions and Multi Packaging Solutions in its combination with Chesapeake and subsequent sale to WestRock.
- Bain Capital and Blackstone in their sale of Weather Group to Entertainment Studios.
- Fisk Ventures, Quadrant Capital Advisors, and Profile Capital, among other family offices, in several leveraged acquisition and venture and growth equity transactions.
Financial Services Transactions
Matt has represented several financial services providers in key strategic transactions, including:
- National Financial Partners (NFP) in connection with the sale of its advisory services business to Stone Point Capital, a significant minority investment in NFP by HPS Investment Partners, multiple other financing transactions, and the $13.4 billion sale of NFP to Aon.
- BrightSphere Investment Group in connection with its dispositions of Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss; Copper Rock Capital; Investment Counselors of Maryland; Landmark Partners; Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley; and Campbell Global.
- iCapital Network in connection with its acquisitions of the HedgeFocus business of Credit Suisse, the U.S. Private Equity Access Fund Platform of Deutsche Bank, Bank of America’s AI feeder funds business, and Morgan Stanley’s alternative feeder funds business.