Richard P. Jaffe

Business and Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions/Private Equity, Life Sciences/Technology, Securities, Climate Change and Sustainability

Richard P. Jaffe is a partner in the Business and Finance Department and co-partner-in-charge of the Life Sciences/Technology Group. He is also a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions/Private Equity, Higher Education, and Securities Groups, and the Climate Change and Sustainability Initiative, as well as the Financial Institutions Reform Task Force. 

Mr. Jaffe is well known for his many years of experience in the area of private equity, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate finance (including IPOs), and venture capital financing. A significant portion of his practice includes advising private equity funds and other investors and business owners with respect to purchase and sale transactions. He also counsels entrepreneurs regarding the raising and investing of capital, structuring public and private securities offerings, structuring and negotiating mergers, acquisitions and sales of businesses, and addresses boards on corporate governance issues.

Mr. Jaffe's clients include private equity funds and fundless sponsors, sellers of businesses, publicly held companies whose stock is traded on the NYSE or NASDAQ, emerging high-tech and life sciences companies, and venture capital funds and investors. He also advises boards of publicly held and privately held companies on a variety of issues.

Representative Matters

• Represented a start-up financial services company in a $200 million investment by two private equity funds
• Represented a private equity fund in expansion-stage investments 
• Represented a $150 million biotech/life sciences venture capital fund in its formation
• Advised audit committee of a publicly held company on certain matters
• Represented a large Web services company in connection with an $87 million investment by a group of major venture capitalists
• Represented the board of a publicly held company in connection with an acquisition valued in excess of $1 billion

Professional Activities

Pennsylvania Bar Association; past Chair, Securities Committee

Philadelphia Bar Association; past Chair, Business Law Section

Association for Corporate Growth's (ACG) M&A East (growth conference co-hosted by Wharton Private Equity Network and The Deal), past Co-chair (2003 and 2004)

ACG–Philadelphia Chapter, past President (2008 and 2009)

ACG, Global Board of Directors (2010-present)

Mid-Atlantic Venture Conference (venture fair for later-stage companies), past Chair (2001)

Recognition & Accomplishments

Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, corporate/M&A and private equity law, 2007-2010

The Best Lawyers in America, leveraged buyouts and private equity law, venture capital law, 2007-2010

Publications

"Private Equity is a Process," chapter in Inside the Minds: Deal Strategies for Venture Capital and Private Equity Lawyers, January 2007

Speaking Engagements

Frequent panelist, Pennsylvania BIO–CEO Roundtable Series

Board Memberships

Board member of many cultural and civic organizations

Association for Corporate Growth, Global Board of Directors

University City Science Center, Chairman

University of the Arts, Trustee

Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law (J.D. 1968)

University of Pennsylvania (A.B. 1965)

Pennsylvania 1968