Winston & Strawn LLP is pleased to announce that Richard “Rick” Frye has joined the firm as a partner. Mr. Frye joins the Winston & Strawn Dallas office, which launched last month with 21 partners from eight different firms, including more than a dozen corporate and transactional attorneys. Mr. Frye joins Winston & Strawn from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP where he advised on complex corporate transactions for public and private companies, private equity sponsors, and portfolio companies.

“Our team of corporate and transactional attorneys in Dallas represents an elite group with deep experience at the top echelon of the legal profession in Texas and beyond,” said Tom Hughes, a corporate partner in Winston & Strawn’s Dallas office. “Rick brings significant experience in practice areas we’ve identified as critical to the success of our clients, especially those doing business in Dallas.”

Mr. Frye works with companies in a variety of industries, including energy, media, technology, financial services, food and consumer products, and health care services. Since 2011, Mr. Frye has been on secondment twice, serving first with the M&A legal team of the strategic investment and development company of the Abu Dhabi government, followed by a year as the general counsel of a prominent music publishing company.

In building the Dallas office, Winston & Strawn has brought together an exceptionally strong transactional team that covers the gamut, from private equity and mergers and acquisitions to capital markets, finance, tax, and real estate. The group also has robust corporate governance and financial services regulatory experience. Composed of numerous accomplished practitioners, many that served in leadership positions at their prior firms, the team includes:
•Andrew Betaque who focuses on the taxation of domestic and cross-border corporate and partnership business transactions, and previously served as a principal of Ernst & Young.
•Ken Betts, who has more than 25 years of transactional, investment, and financial experience advising REITs and other real estate companies.
•Jeff Cole, who has nearly 30 years of experience representing senior and junior lenders, private equity sponsors, and public and private companies with complex financings.
•Billie Ellis, Jr., a well-known real estate and private equity lawyer who previously co-founded The Halifax Group, a $200 million private equity fund.
•Chip Gage, who has extensive experience representing private equity funds, companies, and lenders in a variety of financing transactions.
•Bryan Goolsby, who is a nationally recognized attorney handling a variety of transactional and regulatory issues affecting REITs.
•Tom Hughes, who is an acknowledged go-to advisor for complex M&A and securities transactions, as well as restructuring matters.
•Jordan Klein, who focuses on multifaceted credit transactions and restructurings for banks, finance companies, and other lenders.
•David Lange, who concentrates on M&A, private equity, and venture capital transactions.
•Matt Stockstill, who focuses on M&A, private equity, securities, and general corporate matters.
•Christina Tate, who is a trusted advisor to several private equity funds in connection with a broad range of M&A matters, from platform acquisitions through exit transactions.
•Todd Thorson, who has significant experience representing private equity funds related to corporate governance, M&A, and general corporate law.

“The founders of the Winston & Strawn Dallas office came together and made a decision to change the paradigm in the North Texas market. This will have ramifications not only in the region, but throughout the state,” said Bryan Goolsby, who, along with Tom Melsheimer, is a managing partner of the Dallas office. “We are delighted to have Rick join the team.”

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