Global law firm Reed Smith announced that Christopher Raidy has joined the firm as a partner in its Global Corporate Group. Raidy, who will be based out of Reed Smith’s recently-opened Orange County office, brings to the firm a practice that focuses on representing private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in complex debt financing transactions. He joins Reed Smith from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
“We are very excited for Chris to join our practice, as we have a need for a skilled sponsor finance practitioner, an area in demand among our private equity clients,” said James Tandler, co-chair of Reed Smith’s Global Corporate Group. “We are thrilled to welcome Chris to the firm and look forward to his contributions to the growth of our private equity and M&A practice.”
Raidy’s practice focuses on complex debt financing transactions and representation of private equity firms, public and private companies, hedge funds, borrowers and issuers. These include secured and unsecured financings, domestic and cross-border transactions, mergers, stock and asset acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, restructurings, and debtor-in-possession and exit financings. He has advised on transactions valued in excess of $30 billion for clients including Vista Equity Partners, Thoma Bravo, Clearlake Capital, Gryphon Investors and Frontier Communications Corporation, among others.
Raidy is the first lateral partner to join Reed Smith’s Orange County office since it opened in January 2023, bringing the total partner headcount resident in that office to seven and more than 50 in its Southern California offices, including Los Angeles and Century City. The Orange County office represents a cross-section of the firm’s global practice capabilities, including real estate, IP, regulatory and investigations, litigation, and transactional work.
“When we opened our Orange County office earlier this year, we expressed a commitment to building a formidable practice comprised of lawyers with strong local roots and diverse competencies, supported by Reed Smith’s global platform,” said John Simonis, Reed Smith’s Orange County office managing partner. “In adding Chris, a partner with a fantastic reputation for guiding clients through complex transactions, we are demonstrating that Reed Smith is an attractive firm for top legal talent in the market, and are fulfilling our commitment to expanding our presence in Orange County.”
“I’m thrilled to join Reed Smith’s new Orange County office during an exciting period of growth for the firm,” said Raidy. “With an exceptional team and entrepreneurial spirit, Reed Smith represents the perfect next chapter of my career and presents a unique opportunity to serve a diverse and growing client base. I look forward to contributing to the firm’s Corporate practice as we continue to expand our presence across the West Coast.”
Raidy graduated with highest honors (Order of the Coif) from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2016 where he also received the Prosser Prize (“Fundamentals of Leveraged Buyouts”), and received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California (Marshall School of Business) in 2013.
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