
Richard Riggs concentrates his practice in real estate and other commercial transactions. He regularly represents clients in real estate purchases and sales, real estate leasing and financing transactions and secured transactions in personal property. Those transactions have included real estate developments facilitated through federal, state and local government incentives, including tax increment financing. In addition to his participation in project finance transactions, Richard regularly represents borrowers in connection with syndicated credit facilities.
Richard also represents clients involved in the field of renewable and sustainable energy. His experience includes representing developers, lenders and investors in wind energy projects as well as landowners negotiating wind energy lease and easement agreements.
Richard has published papers and presented continuing education seminars on real estate acquisition and finance, loan foreclosures and workouts, commercial leasing, secured transactions and wind energy leasing. He was a contributor to The Commercial Property Lease, published by the American Bar Association in 1993, and to the first and fourth editions of State-By-State Guide to Commercial Real Estate Leases, published by Aspen Publishers in 2004 and 2012, respectively.
Richard’s achievements have earned him inclusion in Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Best Lawyers in America (commercial finance law; commercial transactions/UCC law; equipment finance law; real estate law) and Oklahoma Super Lawyers. He has also been elected to the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, teaching Real Estate Transactions.
Download Bio (PDF)Representative Experience
- Representation of parties to the following types of real estate transactions throughout the United States:
- Purchases and sales
- Exchanges
- Industrial, office and retail leasing
- Ground leasing
- Project financing
- Representation of borrowers, including borrowers in the retail, healthcare and energy sectors, in secured and unsecured syndicated credit arrangements.
- Representation of parties to equipment and other personal property leasing and financing transactions.
- Representation of nonprofit entities in real estate transactions
- Representation of developers in transactions utilizing tax increment financing (TIF) and other federal, state and local government incentives.
- Representation of professional sports franchise in negotiating agreements related to use of public arena facilities.
- Representation of major industrial companies with Oklahoma facilities in transactions utilizing Oklahoma’s Community Economic Development Pooled Finance Act.
- Representation of developers with respect to Oklahoma wind energy projects, including preparation and negotiation of wind energy leases.
- Representation of lenders, purchasers and tax equity investors with respect to Oklahoma wind energy projects, including analysis of all real estate, environmental, and permitting matters, as well as Oklahoma production tax credit and other tax matters.
Honors and Awards
- Elected Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers
- Listed in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
- Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (commercial finance law; commercial transactions/UCC law; equipment finance law; real estate law)
- Listed in Oklahoma Super Lawyers
- Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubble Peer Review Ratings
Professional Organizations and Memberships
- American College of Real Estate Lawyers (Fellow)
- Oklahoma County Bar Association (Board of Directors)
- Oklahoma Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Oklahoma Bar Foundation
- Oklahoma City Commercial Real Estate Council
- Urban Land Institute
Civic Involvement and Leadership
- Oklahoma Bar Foundation (Benefactor Fellow; President, Board of Trustees)
- Edmond Public Schools Foundation (Former Trustee and President)
- Indian Nations Presbytery (Former Trustee and President)