Richard Knott

Richard’s clients include sovereign, institutional, family office, and strategic investors. The focus of his practice is supporting the alignment of interests and the development of partnership through the deployment of the full toolbox of capital, corporate and funds structures. Richard is also an active member of the startup and venture capital community, advising founders and sponsors, as well as creating connections and investing personally.

Richard takes a pragmatic, results-oriented approach in advancing his clients’ interests, and his experience working in-house allows him to identify material issues of strategic and operational relevance as well as provides him with an understanding of client perspectives and sensitivities.

Prior to his four years with a sovereign wealth fund, Richard worked at a global law firm in Abu Dhabi and in Sydney, Australia, at one of Australia’s leading law firms, where he advised clients on multibillion-dollar private mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and joint venture, structured, and capital market transactions. Richard has been resident in Abu Dhabi for more than 10 years.

• Advised the founders of a new venture capital fund sponsor on their establishment and associated $200 million fundraise
• Advised a leading Abu Dhabi–based sovereign wealth fund on the establishment of a new venture capital sponsor and associated $250 million fundraise
• Advised a leading Abu Dhabi–based sovereign wealth fund on the establishment of a $200 million joint venture with a leading US-based venture capital fund
• Advised a leading Abu Dhabi–based sovereign wealth fund on the establishment of a $500 million joint venture with a US-based private equity sponsor and related multi-location industrial facilities
• Advised a prominent regional institutional investor on various capital deployments, including investments in structured securities issued by a Southeast Asian services business, a North American home goods manufacturer and retailer, a mining business, and a stapled fund and co-investment commitment
• Advised a prominent regional institutional investor on its investments in a North American innovative financial services business and an AI-enabled trading platform including GP stake
• Advised a prominent regional institutional investor on the restructure of its investment holding arrangements
• Advised a leading Abu Dhabi–based sovereign wealth fund on its more than $1 billion investment in a large warehouse and logistics platform
• Advised various high-net-worth individuals on the establishment of family offices and related holding structures
• Advised a leading UK-based business advisory firm on the establishment of a presence in the Abu Dhabi Global Market
• Advised an NYSE-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) with the proposed de-SPAC acquisition of a Middle East unicorn
• Advised a leading Asian sovereign wealth fund on its participation in two separate $10 billion-plus pipeline transactions in Saudi Arabia
• Advised a leading Abu Dhabi–based sovereign wealth fund on its $250 million disposal of a large minority interest in a gas pipeline in Spain 
• Advised various sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, private family offices, and strategic investors on co-investments and direct investments into global, regional, and discrete private equity, credit, real estate, alternative investment, and distressed situation opportunities
• Advised Alabbar Enterprises in its $4 billion acquisition of Kuwait Food Co.
• Advised Saudi Aramco in its $3 billion joint venture with Lanxess
• Advised Emaar Malls Group in its $1.6 billion initial public offering (IPO)
• Advised Dubai Parks & Resorts in its AED2.5 billion ($680 million) IPO
• Advised ASX-listed Greencross Limited in its acquisition of Mammoth Pet Holdings
• Advised US-based Genuine Parts Company in its acquisition of Exego (Repco)
• Advised Queensland Treasury Holdings in its sell-down of ASX-listed Aurizon (QR National)
• Advised Magellan Flagship Fund, Collins Foods, and various others in their IPOs