Rick's practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, including private equity matters, minority shareholder issues, international dispute resolution, and insurance coverage issues. Within the insurance arena, he has successfully handled coverage issues and bad faith litigation for a number of clients. The disputes have involved coverage for construction-related claims arising from contractual indemnity and additional-insured coverage, coverage for asbestos-related bodily injuries, and coverage for intellectual property claims under advertising injury provisions, among many others.  Rick has also participated as a speaker at numerous seminars on insurance coverage litigation, including the CLM annual conference.  In 2011, his Ohio insurance law handbook was published through the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA).

His extensive experience representing private equity interests includes a variety of cases involving business valuation, disputed accounting issues, profitability levels, and disclosures to investors. For more on his successful representation of investors in an earn-out dispute, click on the Publication tab above to read his case study: Will Your Stock Purchase Agreements Hold Up to the Challenge.

Rick’s commercial litigation experience covers not only domestic disputes but also international disputes. His successful representation of international business clients includes Brazilian arbitration through the International Court of Commerce, forum selection disputes involving Canadian arbitration and Indian arbitration, and jurisdictional issues arising from European goods shipped to America.

Regardless of the subject matter, Rick excels in gathering, organizing and presenting the complex details that are necessary to obtain an efficient, favorable resolution under the law, whether in court, out-of-court or via alternative dispute resolution. His analytical style and ability to quickly discern his client’s objectives enables him to become a trusted ally whenever complex business issues arise.

Bar Admissions

Ohio

Kentucky

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

Education

• Vanderbilt University Law School (J.D., 1996)
  • Journal of Transnational Law
• Vanderbilt University (B.S., summa cum laude, 1993)

• Peer Review Rated AV in Martindale-Hubbell
• Listed in AM Best's Recommended Insurance Attorneys
• Ohio Rising Star^®

• Cincinnati Bar Association (1997 - present)
  • Community Service Committee (2000 - present)
  • Community Service Committee past chair (2009 - 2012)  
• Ohio State Bar Association (1997 - present)
  • Insurance Handbook Author (2011)
• Colerain Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors (2020 - present)
  • Vice Chair of the Board (2022-present)
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (2014 - present)
  • Annual Conference Speaker (2018-present)
  • SW Ohio Executive Committee (2015-2018)
• Western [Hamilton Co.] Economic Council, Executive Board and legal adviser (2014 - 2020) 
• Towing and Recovery Association of Ohio, associate member (2007 - present)
• St. Thomas More Lawyers Guild of Greater Cincinnati 
  • Chair of the board (2017 - 2022)
  • Red Mass co-chair (2006, 2015) 
  • Executive Committee (2005 - present)
• St. James the Greater Church:
  • Athletic Board Faith Liaison (2022-present)
  • Lector & Fathers Ministry Committee (2002 - present)
  • Council member (2005 - 2009)
• Youth Baseball Coach and Soccer Coach (1997 – present) (St. Aloysius Bridgetown; St. James White Oak; White Oak Athletic Club)
• Dan Beard Council of Boy Scouts of America
  • Cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 24 (2011 - 2016) 
  • Committee chair of Cub Scout Pack 24 (2014 - 2021)
  • Chair of William Henry Harrison District Fundraising for the annual Good Scout Award Lunch (2020-present)