Richard W. Grice

• Represented Synovus Bank as agent bank in the restructuring of approximately $500 million of debt of the Sea Island Company and in connection with the subsequent sale of the resort through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding.
• Represented a large regional bank as the administrative agent in numerous acquisition financings for sponsor-led transactions in the health care sector.
• Represented Graphic Packaging Corporation, an Atlanta-based public company, in connection with its $1.3 billion of debt financing for the acquisition of Altivity LLC, a portfolio company of Texas Pacific Group, and in connection with its $2 billion credit agreement refinancing.
• Represented Sally Beauty, a worldwide retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies, in connection with its $400 million asset-based revolver and in connection with its issuance of $750 million of senior notes.
• Represented an equipment lessor/vendor in connection with a multitranche $150 million leasing facility of computer hardware to a technology concern.
• Represented a large regional financial institution in the creation of its loan sale financing program and in numerous seller financings of various loan portfolios.
• Represented the administrative agent and letter of credit bank at the height of the financial crisis in connection with a $319 million refinancing and conversion of certain tax-exempt auction rate securities into tax-exempt variable rate demand securities issued by a municipal financing authority and supported by a receivables securitization program sponsored by an operator of 37 hospitals in 10 states.
• Represented a leading distributor of health care products in its $400 million asset-based loan facility and in connection with its issuance of $250 million of senior notes.
• Represented a southeastern “bundled” telecommunications provider in its successful “prepackaged” bankruptcy proceeding relating to $444 million in high-yield bonds and approximately $55 million in senior-secured bank debt; the “prepack” resulted in a debt reduction of approximately $250 million for approximately a 19 percent equity interest in the company.
• Represented a project sponsor in connection with the $200 million project financing of certain mining operations in the Amazon Basin, Brazil; coordinated complex debt and equity participations from U.S., French, German, Japanese, and Brazilian investors, including significant Brazilian pre-export secured financings from Crédit Lyonnais (New York and Paris offices), Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG (Munich office), and Sumitomo Corporation (New York and Tokyo offices).
• Represented a major Atlanta-based telecommunications company in connection with over $2 billion of bank financing for certain of its Latin American properties.

Richard Grice practiced for 35 years in the debt capital markets and served an eight-year term as leader of Alston & Bird’s Finance Group. He focused his practice on the representation of domestic and foreign commercial banks, underwriters, and debt issuers in a variety of financings, including leveraged buyouts and other acquisition financings, public debt issues, private placements, cross-border financings, recapitalizations, and various asset-based financings. He also representd creditors and debtors in pre-bankruptcy restructurings and Chapter 11 proceedings.

Richard was recognized by his peers as one of the foremost lawyers in his practice, including ranking in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and a listing in Super Lawyers , and he was named to the The Best Lawyers in America^© list for well over a decade.

Bar Admissions

• Georgia
• New York

Education

• Cornell University (J.D., 1984)
• University of Wisconsin (B.S., 1981)