Rick, a shareholder of the firm, has defended employers and carriers in workers’ compensation related matters since 1987.  An AV-rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell since 2004 and was selected to the Super Lawyers list from 2008-2012.  He has 30 years of experience handling workers’ compensation cases on behalf of public entities and private employers. Rick has lectured extensively and has served as an instructor for the State Bar of California Continuing Education of the Bar, University of California Davis Occupational Medicine Symposium, Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.), PARMA, CSAC, PIWC, ACWA, VICA, and other organizations. He has also taught labor relations law at Sierra College, and has experience in public sector labor relations and in general civil legal practice.

Primary Focus

Rick spends the bulk of his practice in representing public entities and has worked extensively in cases involving safety officers. He has worked on numerous high value and catastrophic cases. He has extensive experience handling appeals in workers’ compensation matters and in representing clients in subrogation cases.

Defense of Public Entities

Rick is known to have an expertise in defending claims involving police, sheriff, and fire department personnel. When it comes to occupational injuries or illnesses, Rick knows the presumption laws affecting public workers, especially cancer and heart presumptions. He regularly deals with statutes involving special benefits to which safety officers are entitled as well as overlap with pension benefits.

Complex or Catastrophic Injury Claims

Complex cases or claims involving catastrophic injuries are best handled by experienced attorneys who understand the benefits of a team approach in preparing the best defense. Rick’s focus is to minimize damages and he effectively applies his expertise to ensure the best outcome for his client. While these cases are challenging, Rick finds them very interesting and enjoys navigating all the complexities.

Workers’ Compensation Related Appeals

Rick is one of the most experienced workers’ compensation appellate attorneys in California. He has handled over 40 appellate cases and has appeared on numerous occasions before the Court of Appeal.

Overlapping Claims

Rick is frequently involved in cases where workers’ compensation and employment law intersect. He understands that the best outcomes may involve a global approach to case resolution and the need for a team approach to achieve this.

What is the most interesting case you handled?

Rick defended a construction company employer in a case involving a sub-contract laborer in a very complex case involving a catastrophic brain injury resulting from an auto accident. The critical issue in the case was what is referred to as the “coming and going rule” which was combined with the employee’s recreational drug use among other factors. This tragic case involved a substantial amount of discovery, expert witnesses and three trials before it was resolved.