Rachel J. Richardson

Partner

Rachel has over 20 years of experience in the negotiation and management of significant and complex real estate transactions and sponsorships. She is a trusted legal resource for her clients in a wide variety of industries, including sports, consumer products, senior living, hospitality, and food.

Rachel Richardson Portrait

Rachel advises owners, operators, and asset managers across a variety of industries on every facet of sophisticated commercial real estate transactions. Her practice spans the full property life cycle—guiding clients from initial acquisition and financing, through development and operation, to ultimate disposition—always with an emphasis on efficiency, risk mitigation, and value creation. Rachel also structures and negotiates complex joint ventures, representing both sponsor and capital partners in crafting agreements that align interests and advance strategic objectives. 

Beyond real estate, Rachel routinely negotiates high-value sponsorship and licensing arrangements for leading companies in the sports and food sectors. Drawing on this breadth of experience, she delivers the comprehensive, business-focused counsel that clients rely on to move projects forward and achieve their commercial goals.

Client Work

Real Estate

  • Represented a national developer and manager of senior living communities in obtaining more than $200 million in construction loans for:
    • 90-unit assisted living facility in Oceanside, CA
    • an 85-unit assisted living facility in Vienna, VA
    • a 92-unit assisted living and memory care facility in Orange, CA
    • a 103-unit assisted living and memory care facility in Livingston, NJ
    • a 110-unit assisted living and memory care facility in Redmond, WA
    • an 88-unit assisted living and memory care facility in Franklin Lakes, NJ
    • a 90-unit assisted living and memory care facility in Mountain Lakes, NJ
  • Represented a national developer and manager of senior living communities in bond financing transactions valued at over $200 million.
  • Represented a global real estate company in over $300 million of investments in real estate projects across the U.S.
  • Represented a global real estate company in put/call transaction with joint venture partner involving over $80 million worth of real estate.
  • Represented a prominent New York real estate developer on the put/call financing, through iStar, of a $120 million, 233,000-square-foot build-to-suit office building in New Hyde Park for Dealertrack.
  • Represented a prominent Washington, D.C. real estate developer in the $167 million sale of a major event venue in Washington, D.C.
  • Represented DLC Management Corporation and its affiliates in acquisitions, dispositions, and financings of individual shopping centers and shopping-center portfolios aggregating approximately $1.75 billion, including the acquisition of an additional 10.3 million square feet of shopping centers within the last three years.
  • Represented a prominent New York real estate developer with the $70 million acquisition and construction financing of the New Village at Patchogue luxury apartment complex.
  • Represented a prominent New York real estate developer in forming a joint venture with UBS and securing development and construction financing for The Shipyard in Port Jefferson, NY, a $44 million project comprising 112 luxury apartments.
  • Represented a high-net-worth individual on the $200 million sale of the Irene Apartments, a 525-unit apartment complex in Montgomery County, MD.
  • Represented a prominent Washington, D.C. real estate developer in the $400 million sale of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C.
  • Represented a prominent New York real estate developer in the first phase of the $600 million Ronkonkoma Hub project on Long Island—encompassing 1,450 apartment units and 545,000 square feet of retail and office space—including formation of a joint venture with the Olayan Group and negotiation of a $110 million construction loan from Bank of America.
  • Represented the Buccini-Pollin Group in the acquisition and financing of an office portfolio comprising approximately six million square feet of office and ancillary retail space located primarily in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Corporate & Commercial

  • Represented a global management company in connection with corporate sponsorship agreements spanning over 350 venues.
  • Represented Mars, Incorporated in connection with its sponsorship agreement with NASCAR.
  • Represented Mars Petcare in connection with its sponsorship of the Flying Fur event at the Flying Pig Marathon.
  • Represented The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in connection with its sponsorship agreement with the Cincinnati Reds.
  • Represented Mars Chocolate in connection with its sponsorship of the M&M’S® Opera in the Outfield event with the Kennedy Center.
  • Represented The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in connection with the negotiation of an event sponsorship agreement with a WNBA team.
  • Represented The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in connection with its sponsorship agreement with the Toronto Raptors.
  • Represented The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in connection with its sponsorship of the Bentonville Film Festival.
  • Represented Mars, Incorporated in connection with its sponsorship agreement with Joe Gibbs Racing.
  • Represented Mars, Incorporated in connection with a naming rights agreement involving a prominent national landmark.
  • Represented Mars Chocolate and various Mars Chocolate affiliates in connection with food licensing agreements involving co-branded food products.

Previous Work

Prior to joining ArentFox Schiff, Rachel negotiated construction contracts and provided cost engineering services for a national construction company. This work included analyzing the financial performance of large construction projects, including FedEx Field and Capital One Arena (formerly, MCI Center).

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