Fred S. Ridley is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP, and national vice chair of Foley's Real Estate Practice, co-chair of the Hospitality, Resort & Golf Industry Team and a member of the Food and Sports Industry Teams. Mr. Ridley also is a member of the firm's Management Committee. His practice is focused in the areas of commercial and planned unit real estate development and finance, golf and recreational amenity and resort development, and multifamily/condominium developments.
Mr. Ridley has over 25 years of experience in representing developers of high-end, single-family and multifamily real estate projects and has been lead counsel to several of the most recognized waterfront developments in Florida. In connection with these projects, he has coordinated all acquisition and financing issues, environmental and coastal permitting, and negotiations of entitlements with local and state governmental entities.
Mr. Ridley's experience in financing transactions is focused on office and retail development, as well as multifamily, planned-unit and condominium developments. In the past 10 years, he has represented several lenders in financing more than 100 private golf clubs, public golf facilities, and destination resorts that have golf, tennis, and/or yachting as a primary recreational amenity. He coordinates Foley's legal work for Regions Bank, Meadowbrook Golf Group, Pacific Life Insurance Company and Textron Financial Corporation.
Mr. Ridley is the immediate past president of the United States Golf Association, having previously served as treasurer and vice president of that organization.
Mr. Ridley received his J.D. degree in 1977 from Stetson University College of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 1974.
Mr. Ridley has been Peer Review Rated as AV® Preeminent™, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell's peer review rating system. He was recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers (2004-2011) and has been selected for inclusion in the 2006-2011 Florida Super Lawyers ® lists. In 2010, he was recognized by the Legal 500 in the area of real estate. Mr. Ridley has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ® for his real estate work.