Richard Cicchillo Jr. focuses his practice on domestic and international mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. He also has extensive experience in intellectual property development and licensing transactions. Mr. Cicchillo is certified in commercial and business French by La Chambre de commerce et de l’industrie de Paris.
Although he advises mid-market and large-cap companies in a variety of industries, Mr. Cicchillo has significant experience in the building products, industrial equipment, aerospace and defense, and telecommunications industries. He frequently advises companies from French-speaking countries on their U.S. investments and operations, and has represented the French Consulate in Atlanta for many years. Mr. Cicchillo has advised a number of investment fund principals in connection with their arrangements with financial sponsors and joint venture partners – both on fund formation and upon exit.
Mr. Cicchillo joined the firm in October 1994 and became a partner in 2001. He is the team leader of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities practice and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. In 2019, Mr. Cicchillo was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Corporate and Mergers & Acquisitions Law for the twelfth consecutive year. He was also recognized as a 2016 “Atlanta Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America®.
Mr. Cicchillo is listed in the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and again in the 2017 and 2018 editions of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions and he was ranked as a “Recognized Practitioner” for Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions in 2018. He was recognized as one of Georgia Trend’s “Legal Elite” in 2008 for Business Law and again in 2012 for Corporate Law. Mr. Cicchillo was named a Georgia “Super Lawyer” in the areas of Corporate and International Law in 2008 and Mergers & Acquisitions in 2018 and the nine years prior by Super Lawyers magazine. Mr. Cicchillo was recommended by Legal 500 US in the area of Mergers & Acquisitions in 2018 and the seven years immediately preceding. He was also honored in 2016 and the three years immediately preceding as a “Leading Lawyer” by Legal 500 US. Mr. Cicchillo is AV® rated by Martindale Hubbell.*
*CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedure’s standards and policies.
Experience:
- Represented CRH plc, the international building materials group, in its disposition of its Americas Distribution division to Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. for a total consideration of $2.63 billion in cash.
- Represented CRH plc, the international building materials group, in its pending acquisition of Ash Grove Cement Company, a leading U.S. cement manufacturer for $3.5 billion.
- Represented American Tower Corporation, a U.S. telecoms provider, in its purchase of two portfolios of 1,400 Paraguayan wireless communications towers for $125 million.
- Represented Zodiac Marine & Pool in its $327 million acquisition of Polaris Pool Holdings Corporation from private equity fund Quad-C Management.
- Represented a family-owned, French health and beauty products company in its acquisition of a financially-distressed company that was the client’s sole supplier of specialized packaging for the client’s products.
- Represented real estate investment company in connection with the sale of its interest in an investment fund manager to its joint venture partner.
- Represented principals of an Atlanta-based private equity firm in the formation of two investment funds, including the acquisition of a legacy portfolio from a major banking institution.
- Represented a family-owned French manufacturer and distributor of stationery and art quality paper in acquiring control of a U.S. distributor of similar products.
- Represented BellSouth in connection with the formation of a joint venture with SBC Communications (now AT&T) to combine the parties’ respective online directory businesses, and simultaneously acquire Yellowpages.com.
- Represented OFI Private Equity of Paris, France, and its portfolio company, Siem Supranite, in their leveraged acquisition of The Flexitallic Group, Inc., a U.S. and U.K.-based manufacturer of gaskets and sealing solutions for high intensity industrial environments from Cravey, Green & Wahlen.
- Represented the principals of an investment management company in the formation of their private equity fund, including the acquisition of the legacy private equity portfolio of a major U.S. bank.
- Represented an international manufacturer in the sale of its gas fittings business, including operations in the United States, France and Mexico. In connection with this disposition, we represented our client in the buy-out of a joint venture partner in Mexico.
- Represented an architectural and building products company in its acquisition of a leading manufacturer of security and ornamental fences and wire products from a private equity-led investor group.
- The firm served as lead counsel for BellSouth in the purchase of the interests of Vodafone and RWE in the parties’ E-Plus German wireless joint venture and the related creation of a strategic joint venture with Royal KPN, N.V., a Dutch telecommunications company, in transaction initially valued at €18.7 billion. The firm subsequently assisted BellSouth in connection with the conversion of its joint venture interests into a minority interest in publicly-held KPN and the sale of that interest.
- Represented Andritz AG in the acquisition of the hydro power equipment business of General Electric, including GE’s majority interest in GE Hydro Inepar do Brasil S.A., its research, design and production facilities in Canada and a multibillion dollar contract backlog.
Education:
- Harvard University, J.D. (1993) magna cum laude
- New York University Institute for French Studies, M.A. (1990)
- Georgetown University, BSFS (1989) summa cum laude
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
Admissions:
- Georgia (1994)
Cost
Rate : $$$
