William Robert Richardson | Rome Circuit, Post 2

Candidate Statement

I am excited to announce my candidacy to be your State Bar Board of Governors representative for the Rome Circuit, Post 2. I am a partner at Brinson Askew Berry LLP and have practiced law for more than 12 years, focusing on business transactions, commercial real estate and real estate finance. My practice centers on structuring, financing and closing complex projects for nonprofit and for-profit developers and public entities, including commercial developments, public-private partnership and affordable housing transactions across Georgia, the Southeast and beyond.

I previously served as president of the Rome Bar Association and have remained actively engaged in professional and civic service. I currently serve on the boards of the South Rome Alliance and the Heart of Community Foundation. My prior service includes the boards of Habitat for Humanity–Coosa Valley, Inc., and the Darlington School Alumni Council. I am also a graduate of Leadership Rome and Leadership Darlington.

My corporate/transactional-focused practice requires careful preparation, risk evaluation, negotiation and consensus-building among multiple stakeholders with competing interests. That experience has shaped my approach to leadership—measured, practical and solutions-oriented. I am not the loudest voice in the room, but I am a careful listener, well-reasoned decision-maker and effective communicator.

The Board of Governors plays an important fiduciary and policy role for our profession. If elected, I will approach that responsibility with thorough preparation and respect for the institutional role of the State Bar. I will work to ensure that lawyers in the Rome Circuit are well represented, well informed and well served.

I would be honored to earn your vote and to serve our circuit on the Board of Governors.

Education

• Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina, B.A., cum laude (2009)
• Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law, Macon, Georgia, J.D., magna cum laude (2012); editor, Mercer Law Review; member, Bainerd Currie Honor Society

Personal/Family

• Resides in Rome with his wife and two children, ages 9 and 7
• Active youth sports coach and volunteer (YMCA and Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation)
• Enjoys golf, fishing, spending time with family, coaching youth sports and attending his childrens’ sporting events and ballet recitals

Professional Background, Bar Activities, Civic Activities

• Partner, Brinson Askew Berry LLP; practice concentrates in corporate and business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate and real estate finance
• More than 10 years’ experience in the field of affordable housing development and financing, specifically including affordable housing development through the use of federal and state tax credits. In addition, William has experience closing HUD-supported mixed financed projects, including Public Housing Authority (PHA)-sponsored redevelopment plans. William has experience closing tax-exempt bond financed projects, transactions involving the transition of public housing units to Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) units, HOME financing (through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and otherwise) and Federal Home Loan Bank financing. William represents profit, nonprofit and 501(c)(3) companies in the development of affordable housing, multifamily housing and mixed-use projects.
• In addition to his affordable housing work, William has a general commercial real estate practice. He has participated in the development of several commercial and office parks, the development and construction of market rate apartment complexes, mixed-use developments consisting of both housing and commercial components, and commercial building renovation and rehabilitation. He has vast experience in real estate matters and is an authorized title insurance agent for Fidelity National Title Insurance Company.
• Prior to returning to Rome, William was an associate with Baker Donelson in Chattanooga, Tennessee, from 2012-2015. There, William gained extensive experience in health care financing and in the representation of banks and other financial institutions. In addition, he worked with borrowers and lenders in HUD-insured loan transactions for multifamily and senior housing facilities. William served as counsel in more than 100 HUD-insured loans in the senior housing industry in more than 30 states, totaling approximately $500 million.
• Past president, Rome Bar Association (2018-2019)
• Member, State Bar of Georgia; member, State Bar of Tennessee
• Member, American Bar Association, Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development, including serving as member of the HUD and HUD Programs and Tax Credits and Equity Financing committees
• Member, Board of Directors, South Rome Alliance f/k/a South Rome Redevelopment Corporation
• Member, Board of Directors, Heart of Community Foundation, Inc.
• Former Board member, Habitat for Humanity–Coosa Valley, Inc.; Former Board member, Darlington School Alumni Council
• Graduate, Leadership Rome; graduate, Leadership Darlington