After graduating from Columbia Law School in 1965, Richard joined the legal department of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. During his 12 years at the Bank, Richard handled real estate, litigation, and human resources matters and rose to become Assistant General Counsel as well as Assistant Secretary of the Bank.

When Richard left the Bank to go into private practice, Federal Reserve president, Paul Volcker, personally thanked Richard for his service and wished him well in his new endeavors. Those good wishes can still be found in a letter, now framed, on the wall of Richard’s current office.

In 1977, Richard joined his father, Irving, and, thus Coopersmith & Coopersmith PLLC was formed. One of his first cases for the firm was an arbitration held before the Permanent Court at The Hague, Netherlands before a three judge international panel. The case arose out of the seizure of assets by the Iranian government after the overthrow of the Shah.

Today, Richard represents a variety of clients, ranging from large international corporations, needing sophisticated commercial leasing expertise, to young individuals purchasing their first New York cooperative (co-op) or condominium. Because of their significance, several of Richard’s real estate transactions have been highlighted in the New York Law Journal.

In addition to his real estate practice, Richard has developed a niche in the restaurant industry, continuing to represent some of the most prominent restaurateurs in New York City.

Richard works tirelessly for his clients and has no intention of slowing down. In the event a matter falls outside of the firm’s areas of expertise, Richard goes to his network of highly qualified attorneys and makes a thoughtful referral so clients always get the professional expertise and guidance they need.