Richard J. Cooper is a partner based in Cleary Gottlieb’s New York office.
Mr. Cooper's practice focuses on domestic and international restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, and leveraged finance (including project and acquisition finance).
In Latin America, Mr. Cooper has worked on many of the most high profile restructuring transactions in recent years including Aeromexico, Alestra, Fibria (formerly Aracruz Celulose), Cemex, CCM, Cydsa, Edenor, Easa, Emcali, Termoelectrica de Barranquilla, Gruma, Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua, Intelig, Independencia, IUSA, Iusacell, Mexicana, Metrogas, Sanluis Autoparts, San Antonio Oil and Gas, Telecom Argentina, TGN, Termoemcali, Transener and Vitro. In Asia, Mr. Cooper has worked, among others, on the restructuring of Asia Pulp & Paper, NSM Steel, Zhuhai Highway and numerous Indonesian power projects. In the United States, Mr. Cooper has worked on the restructuring of Aleris, America West Airlines, Continental Airlines, Color Tile, Foxwoods Casino, Fruit of the Loom, Insight Healthcare, Lehman Brothers, Milagro Holdings, Pan American Airways, Circle K, Revco and Van Camp Seafood, among others.
Recent merger and acquisition transactions include representation of a consortium of private equity firms in connection with the purchase of NTE Energy, various oil and gas assets of Petrohawk Energy and Chromo Energy, DE Shaw in its investment in Ashmore Energy International, EDF in the sale of its Brazilian utility Light Services, Sempra Energy and Carlyle Riverstone in the purchase and subsequent sale of various generating plants located in Texas, Fintech Energy in the purchase of Emgasud, an Argentine energy company, and Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua in the sale of its Bolivian operations.
Recent project and leveraged finance transactions include representation of Deutsche Bank in the financing of various oil and gas and energy projects in Brazil and the project financing of a power project for Pampa Energy in Argentina. Mr. Cooper also recently represented the Government of Puerto Rico in connection with its enactment of its new Public Private Partnership law.
Mr. Cooper is widely published on developments affecting the areas in which he practices. He is designated as a "star performer" for banking and finance by
Chambers Global and
Chambers Latin America. He is also distinguished as one of the world's leading lawyers by
Chambers Global,
Chambers USA,
Chambers Latin America,
IFLR 1000 Guide to the World’s Leading Law Firms,
The Best Lawyers in America,
The Legal 500 U.S.,
The Legal 500 Latin America and
Latin Lawyer 250: Latin America's Leading Business Law Firms.Mr. Cooper received a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1986, an M.Sc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics in 1983 and a B.A. from Duke University in 1982. While at Columbia Law School, Mr. Cooper was an International Fellow at Columbia University's School of International Affairs and graduated with honors from the Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law.
Mr. Cooper is a member of the American Bar Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.