EDITORIAL REVIEW
The legendary Simpson Thacher chair represented the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York in a $30B financing deal for JPMorgan Chase’s acquisition
of Bear Stearns.
—2008 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America
The M&A star chaired his firm and its representation of Dow Jones’ board in the $5.6B sale to News Corp. as well as the Independent Directors of Biomet in its $10.9B sale to a private equity consortium
— Lawdragon,
January 2008
Beattie's among the best, as proved by his work on J.P. Morgan Chase's $58 billion acquisition of Bank One Corp.
— Lawdragon, July 2007
Mr. Merger joined Anthem with Wellpoint Health Networks and JP Morgan Chase with Bank One.
— Lawdragon,
October 2006
Richard Beattie is known as an elder statesman for corporate law, but he's definitely not dull. In his role as chairman of 700-lawyer Simpson Thacher, Beattie runs one of the largest New York law firms. And his work representing corporate titans in mergers, leveraged buyouts and other deals has made him a legend. He advised Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in its $25 billion leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco in 1989, which landed him a place in a book describing the takeover battle called "Barbarians at the Gate." Beattie also advised America Online in its 2001 merger with Time Warner, and he counseled Wellpoint Health Networks in its $16.4 billion merger with Anthem last year.
— Lawdragon,
October 2005
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Chairman
Richard Beattie is Chairman of Simpson Thacher
& Bartlett LLP where he specializes in
counseling boards of directors and non-management
directors on governance issues, investigations and litigation involving corporate officers and other crisis situations.
He also specializes in
mergers and acquisitions
and leveraged buyouts. He has participated in some of the larger and more complex financial transactions, including J.P.
Morgan Chase & Co.'s $58 billion acquisition of Bank One Corporation, the merger of America Online and Time Warner and the
merger of WellPoint Health Networks with Anthem Inc.
Mr. Beattie has a long record of public service. During the Carter Administration, he served as General Counsel of the
Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and in 1980, as Director of the Transition and Counsel to the Secretary of
Education, he was in charge of organizing the U.S. Department of Education. During the 1980’s, Mr. Beattie served on the
New York City Board of Education. He has served as a Special Advisor to the Secretary of State and during 1995-1997 was
President Clinton’s Emissary for Cyprus.
Mr. Beattie is also Chairman of the Board and founder of
New Visions
for Public Schools, a not-for-profit organization that develops and implements programs to affect system-wide
improvements in public education in New York City. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Harley-Davidson, Inc.,
Heidrick & Struggles, the Carnegie Corporation and the National Women's Law Center, as well as a member of the Council on
Foreign Relations and Vice Chairman of the Board of Overseers and Managers of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and
Chairman of the Board of Managers of Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases. Mr. Beattie is the recipient of a
Bank Street College Honorary Doctorate of Education and the President's Medal, The Legal Aid Society's Servant of Justice
Award and The Jewish Theological Seminary's Judge Simon H. Rifkind Award.
Mr. Beattie joined Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in 1968 after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Prior to law school, he served four years in the Marine Corps as a jet pilot after graduating from Dartmouth College in
1961.
Honors/Associations
- Association of the Bar of the City of New York, 1968-Present
- New York City Board of Education, 1987-1988
- Mayor Koch's Commission on Special Education, Chairman, 1985-1986
- Mayor Koch's Commission on the Reorganization of New York City Human Resources Administration, Chairman, 1984
- United States Department of Education, Counsel to the Secretary and Director of Transition, 1980
- United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare, General Counsel, 1978-1979
- Secretary of the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Executive Assistant, 1977-1978
Admissions
Education
See Library Tab for articles, publications and presentations
by Richard Beattie 
