Holland & Knight LLP

Partner

Richard "Rick" Bange is a corporate, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and private equity attorney who serves on Holland & Knight's Directors Committee and as executive partner for the Charlotte office.

With more than 25 years of experience representing private equity sponsors and public and private companies, Mr. Bange has led transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $30 billion during the course of his career. He has consistently been ranked as a leading corporate, private equity and M&A attorney by publications such as Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, The Best Lawyers in America guide, IFLR1000 and The Legal 500 USA. He has also been named as a Client Service All-Star by The BTI Consulting Group Inc. and a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer for 2025.

Financial sponsors and managers with whom Mr. Bange has worked on private equity transactions throughout his professional life include Apollo Global Management, Ember Infrastructure, Falfurrias Management Partners, Frontier Growth, GSO, Insight Venture Partners, Palladium Equity Partners, Pamlico Capital, Ridgemont Equity Partners, Sandton Capital Partners, Seaport Capital, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Warren Equity Partners.

Mr. Bange has worked with a variety of strategic acquirers and corporations during his career on M&A transactions, including American Tire Distributors, Apex Tool Group, Barings, Consolidated Systems, Elements Brands (d/b/a Natural Dog Company), Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Metromont Corporation, Patagonia and Premier Healthcare.

Mr. Bange's practice is focused on evaluating, structuring and negotiating M&A and investment transactions, including leveraged buyouts (LBOs), growth equity investments, mergers, stock and asset acquisitions and sales, mezzanine investments and recapitalizations. In the private equity space, he advises private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies throughout the full life cycle of their investment activities, including platform acquisitions, subsequent direct representation of portfolio companies in add-on acquisitions and other general corporate matters, as well as sales and other exit transactions. Mr. Bange also works with private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on financings up and down the capital structure, including senior secured debt financings and issuances of mezzanine and hybrid securities and junior capital. He has also worked extensively with private equity sponsors as an external general counsel on day-to-day fund matters.

Mr. Bange began his legal career more than 25 years ago in New York City, where he worked at a large, multinational law firm as well as a prestigious private equity-focused boutique law firm. Drawing from his extensive experience, he combines sophisticated technical knowledge with a relationship-focused approach that delivers tangible results for clients. In addition, he has forged connections during private equity's transformation into an institutional asset class and developed relationship-building skills and knowledge that allow him to attract and retain clients across numerous industries and transaction types.