Richard R. DiFrischia is a partner with Williams Coulson focusing his practice on corporate, real estate, and tax transactions including mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, loan structuring and workouts, and general corporate counseling. He has broad experience with the formation and operations of general and limited partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, and tax exempt entities. In addition, Rich regularly advises clients on selecting the proper business entity with the goal of tax minimization, operating efficiency, and asset protection.

Notable Representative Matters

• Sale of leading financial services company to a strategic purchaser for a purchase price in excess of $750 Million. The transaction involved significant charitable planning resulting in several hundred million dollars being available for charitable purposes.
• Represented seller and owner in sale of the stock of a government contracting business to a publicly traded company for consideration in excess of $30 Million.
• Represented a strategic purchaser in merger with an environmental brokerage and alternative fuels business. The transaction involved significant tax planning and negotiation to maximize potential business synergies.
• Formation and continued representation of one of the largest private foundations in the nation.
• Formation and continued representation of a hedge fund and various private equity and capital raising funds.
• Representation of entrepreneurs in early-stage business planning and capital raising ventures.
• Obtained judgments of over $20 Million and successfully litigated and collected the entire amount due in Chapter 11 bankruptcy on behalf of a national financial institution as a secured creditor against a hotel owner and operator with a national flag.
• Assisted numerous business owners to develop and implement employee incentive plans in preparation for potential sales of businesses or transition of ownership to employees.
• Represented sellers and purchasers in numerous commercial real estate transactions.
• Negotiated various loan work-outs on behalf of creditors and debtors and other shareholder and property disputes.

A strategic and business-minded attorney, Rich forms close relationships with his clients and serves many in a general counsel capacity, advising on day-to-day matters. Rich is also a Certified Public Accountant and often works closely with his client’s chief financial officer and accountants on legal and tax related matters.

Rich is currently a member of the Business Law Section and serves as Vice-Chair of the Taxation Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association.  He is also a member of the Allegheny Tax Society and serves on the Cooperation with the Bar Committee of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Western and Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the United States Tax Court.

In addition to frequent speaking engagements, Rich has published articles in national tax periodicals relating to state and local taxation of professional athletes and contingent fee auditors. Rich was recently named a Rising Star by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Philadelphia Magazine as one of the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in the state receive this honor.

Rich received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh and earned a B.S. from Grove City College where he graduated cum laude and with high honors in his major of Financial Management.