Richard Lyons
By Joshua Burd
McCarter & English has announced the addition of Richard G. Lyons as a partner in its real estate and cannabis practices.
The firm said Lyons, who will work from its Newark headquarters, brings deep experience in real estate leasing, acquisitions and dispositions, commercial agreements and corporate formation and governance matters, particularly for clients in the health care and life sciences industries. His experience in the cannabis sector spans a full range of commercial agreements, business counseling and compliance issues.
“Rich is a great addition to our real estate practice in both New Jersey and NYC,” said Joseph T. Boccassini, McCarter & English’s firmwide managing partner. “His practice lines up well with industries where McCarter already has strength and will broaden our capabilities further in those sectors.”
With clients ranging from small businesses to publicly traded international companies, Lyons is involved a broad range of transactional real estate and related corporate matters, often serving as outside general counsel for firms, especially startups and early-stage companies, according to a news release. His transactional experience also includes stock and asset purchase agreements, service agreements, licensing agreements and corporate and business formation matters.
“Rich’s depth of knowledge and experience in transactional real estate provides added bench strength to our group as we continue to grow at a critical time in the real estate markets,” said Simone Wilson-Brito, co-chair of McCarter & English’s real estate practice. “We’re happy to welcome him to our team.”
McCarter added that Lyons has an established presence within the regional cannabis community and advises businesses on everything from licensing, regulations and financing to real estate, employment agreements and other general business matters. Within the health care and life sciences industries, his clients include those in the medical device, pharmaceutical and clinical trial sectors with real estate and commercial contracting needs, as well as general corporate matters, including business formation and structuring agreements.
Lyons holds a juris doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law, a master’s from Boston University and a bachelor’s from Worchester State University. He is also a councilman in Upper Saddle River and on the borough’s historical society and water committees.
“McCarter caught my attention for a variety of reasons — its reputation and strength in the Northeast, its focus on growth, its established, full-service teams in areas that could better support my clients and the caliber of its people,” Lyons said. “I was looking for a place where I could put down roots — a good place to practice not only today, but 25 years from now. This team shares my ambitions — to grow, hustle and do really good work for our clients, while enjoying the colleagues alongside of you. Quite simply, the shoe fit.”
