Alongside his primary career responsibilities, Mr. Richards served as a board member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers
STAMFORD, CT, July 23, 2019 — Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present David Alan Richards with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Richards celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Supported by more than 45 years of practiced experience in real estate law, Mr. Richards most recently served as senior counsel at Steptoe & Johnson LLP from 2013 to 2019. Prior to this appointment, he was partner at several firms, including McCarter & English from 2001 to 2013, Sidley Austin LLP from 1983 to 2000 and the Coudert Brothers from 1981 to 1982. Earlier in his career, he was an associate at Coudert Brothers from 1977 to 1980 and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP from 1972 to 1977. Upon becoming employed by the Coudert Brothers in 1977, Mr. Richards became known as a nationally recognized expert in foreign investments in the United States.
Alongside his primary career responsibilities, Mr. Richards served as a board member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, the chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Section of the American Bar Association, the chair of the Anglo-American Real Property Institute and a member of the advisers' board for the Chicago Title Insurance Company in New York. Civically involved as well, he is a past president and trustee of the Scarsdale Public Library and was the co-chair of New York Lawyers for Clinton/Gore. Mr. Richards has given speeches in numerous countries regarding his areas of expertise, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands Antilles.
To prepare for his career, Mr. Richards pursued formal education at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where he was Phi Beta Kappa and earned a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, summa cum laude, in 1967. By the time he had graduated, he had notably won the most prizes in his graduating class, in English literature, American history, book collecting and speech. Attending the University of Cambridge in England soon thereafter as a Keaseby Scholar, Mr. Richards received a Bachelor of Arts in modern history with first class honors and a Master of Arts in 1971.
From there, Mr. Richards returned to Yale Law School and obtained a Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1972. He was the only member of the Law School Class of 1972 to be awarded two essay prizes by the school. His senior thesis was notably regarding development rights transfer, a New York City zoning technique, and was published in the Yale Law Journal. Mr. Richards was subsequently admitted by the New York State Bar in 1973 and subsequently to the bars of the federal courts, the Second Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.
A prolific author, Mr. Richards contributed myriad articles to esteemed journals and authored numerous books. The author of "Rudyard Kipling: A Bibliography" in 2010, he also wrote "Rudyard Kipling: The Books I Leave Behind" in 2007 and "The History of the New York Yacht Club." In 2003, he co-wrote "The Commercial Office Lease Handbook: New York Model Clauses and Commentary." Most recently, he released "Skulls and Keys: The Hidden History of Yale's Secret Societies" in 2017, a book detailing the highly influential world of Yale University's secret societies and how they shaped America's cultural and political landscapes. Since the publication of his renowned books, Mr. Richards has gone on several book tours in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
To remain abreast of developments in his areas of interest, Mr. Richards maintains affiliation with several societies and organizations, such as the American Bar Association, where he was the youngest chair of the Section of Real Property Law between 1990 and 1991, the Century Association and the Kipling Society, where he has served as vice president since 2005. Likewise, he is a past board member and antiquarian of the Russell Trust Association, member of the Shenorock Shore Club and past secretary of the New York City Grolier Club. The chair of the Yale Library Association since 2016, Mr. Richards has also acted as the secretary of the St. Bartholomew's Conservancy since 2013.
As a testament to his success, Mr. Richards was the featured real estate lawyer in the 2010 issue of New York Super Lawyers under the title "Manhattan Transfer." A native of Dayton, Ohio, Mr. Richards and his wife moved from New York City to Scarsdale, New York, in 1977, where they raised their two children, Christopher and Courtney. Later relocating to Stamford, they have thoroughly enjoyed spending their spare time with their three grandchildren. Mr. Richards enjoys collecting rare books in his spare time and his collection of first editions and manuscripts of Rudyard Kipling, the largest in the world is now in Yale's Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Mr. Richards has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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