Washington University School of Law,
J.D., 1976
Order of the Coif
Law Quarterly
Washington University in St. Louis,
B.A., 1973
Missouri
Illinois
US Supreme Ct
Illinois USDC, Southern District
Missouri USDC, Eastern District
US Ct Appeals, 8th Circuit (Covers AR, IA, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Bar Association
American Journal on Science and Health
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
Defense Research Institute
Chairman, Recreational Boat Subcommittee, Admiralty Law Group, DRI
Illinois State Bar Association
Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers
New York Academy of Sciences
The Maritime Law Association
Practicing Law Institute
The Missouri Bar
United States Supreme Court Bar
Admiralty Law Institute Speaker
Amada Company, Ltd.
Captive Planners, Inc.
Economy Forms
Genmar Industries
Honda North America, Inc.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Kawasaki Motor Corp. USA
Lennox International
Miller Elevator Service Co.
Miller Elevator
Montgomery Kone
Pettibone Corporation
Riso, Inc.
Sally Beauty Supply
Schindler Elevator
Toro Corporation
Wellcraft, Inc.
Named Lawyer of the Year for Product Liability Litigation - Defendants in St. Louis by The Best Lawyers in America (by BL Rankings), 2022
Listed in "The Best Lawyers in America®", 2009-2022 (by BL Rankings)
Product Liability Litigation-Defendants
Listed in "Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers" 2005, 2007-2018 (by Thomson Reuters)
Admitted Pro Hac Vice
Alabama
Alaska
California
Connecticut
Florida
Guam
Kentucky
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
Trial Practice, Washington University School of Law, 1979-1981
Rick has earned defense verdicts for products manufacturers in courts across the country. He has taken more than 100 jury trials to verdict in venues ranging from Guam to New York City and from Seattle to Miami. His considerable experience and determination are recognized by clients and opposing attorneys alike.
Rick regularly serves as national counsel for major Japanese manufacturers. Drawing on his 40 years of litigation experience, Rick focuses on product liability matters (including, inter alia, personal injury claims involving off-road vehicles, personal watercraft, motorcycles and automotive products). He also has represented clients facing fraud claims, patent claims, class action matters and commercial contract disputes. Rick has cross examined experts in a variety of fields, including engineering, epidemiology, human factors, warnings, naval architecture, validation, computer simulations, management policies, a variety of fields of medicine, aerodynamics, and patent law, to name a few. While his practice is national in scope, Rick has tried two of the three longest-running antitrust trials in Missouri.
Rick is experienced in front of a jury, but he also achieves significant defense victories before the case goes to a jury. Recently, he has obtained summary judgments on design defect and warnings issues in federal district courts in Utah (Wells v. Kawasaki Motors Corporation, U.S.A.) and South Carolina (Hickerson v. Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.), and obtained directed verdicts in federal district courts in New Jersey (Ruggerio v. Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.) and Florida (Mizrahi v. Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.).
Furthermore, Rick represents clients in dealings with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. In the CPSC context, he has guided clients through product recalls and obtained successful results in investigations.
Rick's experience extends to appellate briefing and argument. Rick has successfully argued appeals before federal courts of appeal in the Second, Third, Fourth, Seventh, Eighth, and Eleventh Circuit, as well as state appellate courts in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois, New Jersey, Texas, Alabama and Arizona.
A spicy relationship between Uber-like delivery services and the restaurants that feed them
“Ruggiero v. Yamaha ruling cited, ‘Recent Expert Reliability Rulings”
New York Law Journal October 2019
Inside the Minds, "Leading Product Liability Lawyers";
Aspatore Books, 2003
"Defense of Marine Products Litigation";
Defense Research Institute Monograph, June 1990
"The Use of Standardized Materials";
Practicing Law Institute, 1988
"Protecting Experts Consulting Teams From Discovery";
For The Defense, 1987
"Subsequent Remedial Measures";
A Products Liability Commentary and Cases, 1987
"The Investigation and Use of Experts";
Product Liability of Manufacturers, Practicing Law Institute, 1979
"Defending the Products Liability, Prevention and Defense of Manufacturers’ Products Liability";
Practicing Law Institute, 1978
"A Dilemma for the Legal and Medical Profession: Euthanasia and the Defective Newborn";
22 Saint Louis University Law Journal 501, 1978
"The Defense of a Products Liability Lawsuit, Products Liability Manufacturers";
Practicing Law Institute, 1977
"Case Update: Products Liability";
Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers, 1995
"Coordinating Products Liability Litigation";
The University of Missouri-Kansas City, 1990
"Effective Coordination of Multiple Products Liability Litigation";
Practicing Law Institute, 1988
"Trial Practice";
The Missouri Bar, 1987
"Insurance Practice";
The Missouri Bar, 1986
"Defending the Lawsuit: Products Liability of Manufacturers";
Practicing Law Institute, St. Louis, 1981
"Missouri Practice and Update on Law";
Special Problems in Products Liability Litigation, Practicing Law Institute, St. Louis, 1978
Yamaha wins defense verdict in personal watercraft wrongful death trial
Utah federal court throws out products liability claims against Kawasaki for Jet Ski injury
Federal jury sides with Yamaha in failure to warn trial over WaveRunner injury
Third Circuit affirms directed verdict for Yamaha in products liability action
Texas jury quickly delivers defense verdict to Kawasaki in trial over off-road vehicle
Unanimous Fourth Circuit victory for Yamaha in products liability action
Thompson Coburn helps Yamaha resolve significant injury cases
Kawasaki wins defense verdict in Jet Ski explosion suit
Chicago judge tosses nationwide class action against Kawasaki
NOTICE.
Although we would like to hear from you, we cannot represent you until we know that
doing so will not create a conflict of interest. Also, we cannot treat unsolicited
information as confidential. Accordingly, please do not send us any information
about any matter that may involve you until you receive a written statement from
us that we represent you (an ‘engagement letter’).
By clicking the ‘ACCEPT’ button, you agree that we may review any information you transmit to us. You recognize that our review of your information, even if you submitted it in a good faith effort to retain us, and, further, even if you consider it confidential, does not preclude us from representing another client directly adverse to you, even in a matter where that information could and will be used against you. Please click the ‘ACCEPT’ button if you understand and accept the foregoing statement and wish to proceed.