Education

University of Florida College of Law, J.D., with high honors
University of Rochester, B.S.

Bar Admissions

Florida

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Richard B. "Rick" Stephens

Partner
Lakeland
t: 863-499-5351

Richard B. Stephens, Jr. divides his time between tax exempt financings and a diverse corporate practice. On the corporate side, Mr. Stephens has extensive experience in large corporate transactions focusing on the gas, power, cement and road based industries (including structured products, prepaid gas transactions, financings, derivatives, acquisitions, mergers, and general contract drafting). He has also had extensive experience in solid waste resource recovery and compost projects including negotiation of power sales agreements, wheeling contracts, waste processing and service agreements and related documents.

On the tax-exempt side Mr. Stephens has been involved as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, swap counsel or special counsel to city and county governments, districts and authorities in virtually all types of municipal and industrial development projects including airports, port facilities, stadium complexes and arenas, convention centers, hospitals and health care facilities, hotels, water and sewer facilities, city hall projects, housing issues, and a variety of other infrastructure projects. He has also had extensive experience in innovative financings involving floating and fixed rate bonds, auction bonds, caps, collars, swaps, multimodal and shifting lien bonds, commercial paper, forward purchase contracts, and the like. He has been involved in more than 50 issues involving more than $4,000,000,000 over the last five years.

Professional Honors & Awards

  • Order of the Coif
  • University of Florida Law Review, Editorial Board
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Rated

Memberships

  • Ridge League of Cities, Inc.
  • American Bar Association
  • National Association of Bond Lawyers
  • Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors
  • United Way, Board of Directors
  • Committee on Efficient County Government
  • Leadership Lakeland Alumni Association, Past President

Published Articles & Books

  • "Florida Supreme Court Clarifies Decision Regarding Referendum Approval for Local Governments," Public Finance, Alert - October, 1, 2007
  • "Derivatives into the Millennium," The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Materials, July 1999
  • "Financing Waste Processing and Disposal Facilities," Quality Cities , June 1989
  • "Tax Exempt Financing of Health Care Facilities," The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Materials, May 1983
  • "Survivorship Rights in Joint Accounts (Note)," 24 University of Florida Law Review 476, 1972
  • "Estate Taxation; Power of Appointment and Common Disaster Under Section 2041(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (Comment)," 23 University of Florida Law Review 778, 1971