Richard L. Shamos
Partner
Areas of Focus
- Investment Management
- Fund Formation
- Credit Funds
- Evergreen Funds
- Real Estate & Infrastructure Funds
- Fund Manager Transactions
- Private Equity
- Private Funds Liquidity Solutions
- Institutional Investors
- Investment Management & Transactional Tax
- Brings a sophisticated fund formation practice with particular strength in private credit and private equity, evergreen and hybrid investment vehicles, rated note feeders and insurance‑related strategies and products.
- Advises global sponsors on the formation of closed‑end and open‑end funds across liquid and illiquid asset classes, including direct lending, asset‑backed lending, fixed income and buyout and growth strategies.
- Counsels sponsors and investors on complex fund and management transactions, including sponsor‑led secondaries, continuation vehicles and GP stakes transactions, with experience across multibillion‑dollar products.
Richard advises U.S. and non-U.S. fund sponsors on the structuring of closed-end and open-end fund products across a variety of liquid and illiquid asset classes, including direct lending, asset-backed lending, fixed income, buyout and growth funds. He also counsels fund sponsors on the formation of a variety of hybrid and specialty finance vehicles, including evergreen fund structures, rated note feeders and structured products.
With over 15 years of experience in the investment management space, Richard has advised on the launch of investment funds ranging from the tens of millions to billions of dollars on fund structuring, fundraising and marketing and regulatory compliance. As part of his fund formation practice, he advises sponsors on the marketability of fund products and the tailoring of complex offerings to meet investor-specific goals and needs.
Richard also regularly advises clients on fund structuring with complex asset classes, insurance products, cross-border and offering structures and regulatory and tax optimization strategies.
In addition, Richard advises clients on management structuring and operations, executive and employee incentive planning and seeding arrangements, as well as transactions in fund interests and management entities, including sponsor-led secondaries, continuation funds, fund mergers and restructurings, corporate acquisitions and management buyout transactions.
Fund Formation
Credit and Direct Lending
- Structured, formed and negotiated a $1.9 billion asset‑backed lending fund for a leading credit sponsor.
- Structured, formed and negotiated a closed‑end evergreen credit fund with over $1 billion in assets under management.
- Advised a leading asset‑backed lending sponsor on the formation of an $860 million asset‑backed lending fund.
- Advised a leading real estate investment firm on the structuring and fundraising of a real estate debt fund with $1.3 billion in assets.
- Advised on the launch of an open‑end credit investment fund with over $400 million in assets under management.
- Advised a specialty finance manager on a $200 million open‑end credit vehicle backed by merchant cash advances.
- Structured a closed‑end evergreen vintage credit fund for a credit sponsor with over $200 million in assets under management.
- Advised on the structuring and negotiation of a $250 million horizontal rated note feeder fund.
- Advised on the structuring and formation of a $100 million vertical rated note feeder fund backed by insurance investors.
- Advised on the structuring and fundraising of a credit BDC with $500 million in assets under management and an attendant rated note feeder.
Education
- J.D., Columbia Law School, 2009
- B.A., Vassar College, cum laude generali, 2003
- J.D., Columbia Law School, 2009
- B.A., Vassar College, cum laude generali, 2003
Bar Admissions
- California
- New York
- California
- New York
- Lawdragon, 500 Leading Global Tax Lawyers, 2025.
- OZ Magazine, Top Influencers, Top Attorneys, 2020.
- Super Lawyers, New York Metro Rising Stars, 2018–2020.
- Presenter, “Private Equity and Venture Capital Committee Meeting,” American Bar Association's Business Law Section Virtual Spring Meeting, April 2021.
- Moderator, “LP Investing in a Covid-19 Environment: What Was, How the LP Mindset Has Shifted, and Post-Election 2021 Outlook,” Opus Connect Conference, Webinar, November 2020.
