Ricardo is a partner in Fontg Hansen, where he represents numerous clients in corporate, commercial and securities matters. Ricardo serves as outside general counsel for many of his clients, representing them in their day-to-day legal needs, in addition to assisting them with governance and corporate matters, as well as commercial, financing and mergers and acquisitions matters. Ricardo has substantial experience in general corporate and commercial representation for start-ups, early-stage and also mature companies, as well as negotiation of M&A and strategic deals, and structure and creation of ventures and alliances in the U.S. and internationally. He is currently an advisor to domestic and multinational companies in industries which include media, retail, telecom, banking and financial services, medical services, insurance, technology, manufacturing, retail and professional services.
Ricardo regularly assists clients in structuring, managing and negotiating merger and acquisition transactions, private placement equity and debt transactions, as well as strategic alliances, technology licensing and transfer transactions, recapitalizations, and other similar corporate transactions. Ricardo also regularly advises corporate clients and their management on a broad range of corporate matters, including corporate governance, equity incentive arrangements, employment matters, regulatory compliance, risk and litigation management and other general corporate and securities laws issues. In addition, he counsels entrepreneurs and investors on the formation of their companies, equity structures, and negotiations with seed and venture capital investors. In the securities area, Ricardo has managed and advised clients on compliance issues for exempt securities offering and drafted disclosure and transaction documents for transactions involving Reg. D exempt offerings.
While assisting clients with corporate transactions, Ricardo’s responsibilities have ranged from providing guidance to reduce deal risk, analyzing transaction structure, performing due diligence, and drafting and negotiating transaction agreements.
Ricardo has also provided advice on areas such as minimizing purchase risk and undiscovered liabilities, analyzing industry-specific regulatory compliance issues, adjusting economic risks of either the buyer or seller by designing holdbacks, escrows, indemnification and earn-out arrangements; and protecting deal value and risk exposure through representations, warranties and covenants that correlate economic risk to the client’s deal objectives.
Ricardo has also represented numerous healthcare clients, ranging from community hospitals, physician-owned hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, diagnostic facilities, home health care agencies, physician practices and joint ventures. Ricardo has provided a broad range of support for his healthcare clients, assisting them in business, financing and corporate transactions, legislative support, as well as regulatory compliance issues, including fraud and abuse matters, Stark and Anti-Kickback analysis.
Ricardo regularly works with entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial companies, and understands their need for efficient and practical legal advice. In this capacity, Ricardo has worked with and assisted numerous individuals and start-ups in connection with choice of entity decisions, transaction structure, early stage financing, real estate matters and ownership and business vsuccession planning.
Ricardo was born in San Salvador, El Salvador, and is fluent in Spanish.
professional experience
Fontg & Hansen LLC, Member, 2003 to present
Polsinelli Shughart PC (f/k/a Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C.), Director, 1995-2003
Watson & Marshall, LLC, Associate, 1992-1995
education
University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, J.D., 1992
Missouri Law Review, Note and Comment Editor
Board of Advocates, Executive Committee
Truman State University, B.S., Accounting, 1989
bar admissions & professional affiliations
AV Rating by Martindale Hubbell (highest confidential peer rating for legal abilities and professional standards)
Admitted, State Bar of Missouri
Admitted, State Bar of Kansas
Member, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
Member, Lawyers Association of Kansas City
Hispanic Bar Association of Greater Kansas City, Past President and Board Member
American Bar Association, Past Fellow, Section of Real Property
American Health Lawyers Association
professional + civic activities
Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Past Board Member
EDC Loan Corporation, Past Board Member
Seed Capital Fund for Hispanics, Past Board Chairman
Capital for Entrepreneurs, Inc., Past Board Member
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City, Past Board Member
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Alumni, Centurions Leadership Program
Active with youth sports activities and scout organizations