A Tribute to Richard Beattie
We offer our condolences to the family and loved ones of Richard Beattie, former Chairman of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and express our gratitude for his role in founding and supporting the Vance Center.
The Vance Center mourns the passing of Richard (Dick) Beattie on June 6, 2025, and joins his colleagues, friends, and family in celebrating his remarkable life and many achievements. One of these was the founding of the Vance Center: as Chairman of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in the early 2000s and in honor of that firm’s longtime partner Cyrus R. Vance, Sr., Mr. Beattie approved and thereafter supported the firm’s cornerstone financial commitment that enabled the establishment of the Vance Center and was central to the financial viability of our organization in its early years.
The Vance Center of today, a dynamic organization within the New York City Bar Association, which led pro bono work in 69 countries last year with the support of more than 30 international law firms, stands in testimony to Mr. Beattie’s leadership and shared commitment to the rule of law, access to justice and international human rights. The Vance Center and its staff express our gratitude for his contribution to our founding and all that his support has enabled since then.
Read more about Mr. Beattie’s life and commitment to public service here.