Richard Mongelli

For the past thirty years, Rich has served as “outside general counsel” to a number of privately-held businesses, entrepreneurs, developers, and real estate investors.

Rich’s practice involves day-to-day legal issues, strategic planning, and complex domestic and international commercial transactions. Rich utilizes a “collaborative approach” when representing clients, working with accountants, financial, tax and insurance advisors to achieve client goals and objectives.

Rich is entrusted by his clients to resolve business, real estate and financial disputes through negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. Rich always strives to find cost-effective solutions to disputes before engaging in costly and time-consuming litigation. When needed, Rich enforces and protects clients’ interests in state and federal court.

CORPORATE PRACTICE:

Business transactions are an increasingly important part of the commercial landscape. Rich brings a collaborative and common-sense approach to guiding clients through the process of buying and selling a company. Rich advises clients on a broad range of complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, project financing, joint ventures, partnerships and debt restructuring. He also represents clients in general corporate governance matters, drafting and reviewing contracts, employment agreements, leases, and loan documents.

REAL ESTATE PRACTICE:

Rich’s real estate practice covers a wide range of the real estate industry, including sales and acquisitions of portfolio and individual assets, real estate development, real estate finance, leasing, joint ventures, and partnerships.

ZONING AND LAND USE PRACTICE:

Rich represents developers, builders, landowners and investors navigating the complex rules, regulations and requirements of local, state and federal agencies to secure development approvals and construction permits. His representation involves working with clients from the land and building acquisition through the zoning and permitting process, and the construction process.

LITIGATION PRACTICE:

Rich’s clients entrust him with their business, real estate, financial and estate disputes based on his ability to obtain favorable outcomes. He has a track record of success. He works to resolve clients’ disputes with minimal disruption of their businesses and avoid costly litigation where possible. When necessary, he will try a case to conclusion when clients’ interests demand it.

Rich is litigation counsel to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR). He obtained a successful trial verdict for this world-wide Church after a five-day trial in Atlantic City involving a dissident parish seeking to take property from the Church. Read more about this case in this article (pdf) from The Wall Street Journal.

In another lawsuit for ROCOR, Rich represented his client in Nyack, New York, where he obtained a pre-trial dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a dissident parishioner. He also successfully defended this pre-trial dismissal on appeal to the New York State Appellate Division.

Rich obtained a $455,000 verdict for a financial services client in a breach of contract trial in Mercer County. Rich’s client hired a “Knowledge Management” firm to implement artificial intelligence software. When the implementation failed, he was forced to initiate suit against the consulting firm.

TRANSACTIONAL WORK:

• An investor in a joint venture that was developing a health club facility and sports complex. He drafted the operating agreement that governed the client's relationship with his joint venture partners and provided anti-dilution measures to protect his investment, as well as an exit strategy that would allow his client to liquidate his investment at the appropriate opportunity.
• A client in the acquisition of a controlling interest in a privately held ship and cargo brokerage and logistics firm doing business globally. In addition to his due diligence of the transaction, he drafted the shareholder agreement that protected the client's control stake in this firm.
• A client who partnered with a nationally known hospitality entrepreneur and a prominent finance executive to grow a salon business in a remodeled historic building in a popular river town. The operating agreement that he drafted provided our client the operating flexibility to manage the business utilizing her expertise, while protecting her proprietary rights in her brand and her product line.
• A client, an environmental engineer, who purchased an engineering and environmental science company from its founding partner. The project involved complex insurance coverage issues for this professional services firm, and intensive due diligence due to the many years of ongoing business operations and indemnification obligations.
• Owners of a historic inn, restaurant and tavern in the sale of the building, restaurant and liquor license.
• Served as a general counsel to a family-owned beverage company, representing them in ongoing corporate, real estate and employment matters.
• A NY merchant banking firm that provides investment banking services to the energy sector in a cooperation agreement with an Amsterdam bank.
• The buyers of a nationally recognized, award-winning inn, in connection with the acquisition of the real estate and ongoing business operations of this asset.
• A client in connection with a joint venture to develop an oil terminal in South America.

VOLUNTEER WORK:

Rich serves on the Board of Trustees of Fisherman’s Mark, Lambertville, NJ and also serves on the Board of Trustees for Riverside Symphonia, Lambertville, NJ

Specializations

Complex Commercial Litigation, Commercial Real Estate & Redevelopment, Corporate & Commercial Transactions, Land Use & Approvals, Corporate Law & Business Transactions

Industries

Land Development, Professional Services, Real Estate

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.