Richard C. Hoffman

Richard is a member of the firm’s Business and Corporate Commercial, Real Estate and Dispute Resolution Groups. He has more than 40 years of experience advising and acting on behalf of clients on business and corporate commercial transactions and matters across a wide range of industries. He is known for providing thoughtful strategic, legal, and risk management and dispute resolution advice tailored to each client’s objectives.

Richard regularly acts as lead counsel on complex, structured business projects, including matters in the real estate, construction, energy, food service, horticulture, employment recruitment, and information technology sectors. His clients value his ability to deliver focused, practical advice and suggestions in a timely manner, particularly regarding sensitive and high stakes matters.

Richard is highly skilled in dispute resolution and in navigating complex situations involving significant conflict. He is particularly adept at helping deeply opposed parties move out of entrenched positions toward practical, commercially sound and pragmatic outcomes. Drawing on his credibility, judgment and calm and trusted authority, he brings a helpful perspective to negotiations during periods of serious disagreement and eloquently de-escalate tension, identify underlying interests and risks, and guide parties-in-conflict toward mutually-acceptable resolutions, often preventing disputes from escalating into litigation.

Richard’s client base ranges from small and mid-sized family-owned and closely held businesses to large international corporations, as well as public private joint ventures, banks, pension funds, and other institutional entities. In addition to his transactional work, he also advises on litigation-related matters, wills and estates matters, and a broad range of personal and strategic client priorities.

Richard’s clients rely on his trusted delivery of excellent service in a focused, strategic and timely manner.

Expertise

Representative work

• Legal counsel to several large real estate developers (residential, commercial, office and industrial)
• All aspects of construction (public and private commercial, industrial and institutional construction projects, public-private partnerships, and project finance), including project development and financing, drafting of construction contracts, insurance, risk management and dispute resolution
• Corporate reorganizations
• Project financings, including for large energy projects
• Strategic corporate acquisitions and divestitures, including those involving real estate
• Complex shareholder disputes
• Mediator
• Has acted for several prominent wealthy families in strategically resolving conflicts/disputes