James F. Ritter has joined the Washington D.C. office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP in the firm’s Corporate practice group. Ritter was previously a partner with Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C.

Ritter has extensive experience in negotiating a wide variety of financing arrangements, including senior secured loans (both asset-based and cash-flow loans) and mezzanine and other subordinated debt, high-yield securities, working capital facilities, international and U.S. domestic power and other infrastructure project financings, equipment leasing and other vendor finance transactions, letters of credit, derivatives contracts, and equity investments. He represents businesses seeking and providing access to capital in a number of industries, with particularly extensive experience in the aerospace, defense, communications, health care and energy industries.

“Jim brings a wealth of transactional experience in private equity and leveraged finance transactions. He has worked with some of the largest private equity funds, including The Carlyle Group, as well as a number of firms more focused on the middle market, in a variety of deal types. In addition to his technical skills, Jim is a terrific individual. He is well liked by his clients and peers,” said Ed Schiff, managing partner of Sheppard Mullin’s Washington, D.C. office.

“Jim is an excellent addition to our private equity team, as we continue to build that practice. The expansion of our corporate practice in Washington, D.C. and New York is a key strategic goal for our Corporate practice group in 2012,” stated Jamie Mercer, co-chair of Sheppard Mullin’s Corporate practice group.

Ritter received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1986 and a B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1981.