Rick is a veteran litigator with a broad and diverse practice ranging from high-exposure business disputes to large, complex multi-party tort cases. His more than twenty-five years of legal experience include complex tort litigation, business litigation, construction defect defense, and government entity and product liability cases. Rick has defended against lawsuits involving multiple wrongful deaths and serious personal injuries, large and small business disputes, and a variety of government entity and non-profit entity tort litigation. He regularly represents colleges, cities and non-profits, in the defense of various claims. He also handles select plaintiff cases involving catastrophic injuries. Both large and small businesses routinely rely upon his advice in contract formation, insurance issues, and claims-prevention matters.
Before becoming a lawyer, Rick was an insurance professional. His formative claims-handling experience has evolved into a firm-wide commitment to legal services that meet the goals of professional risk management. Rick's strong managerial skills were developed as the Managing Partner of both Hardin & Coffin and his prior law firm, and as an insurance company claims manager and claims attorney before then.
Rick has enjoyed an outstanding record of success as a trial lawyer, with more than forty-five jury trials to his credit. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a professional group of seasoned jury trial lawyers, and holds the highest possible Martindale Hubble peer rating (AV). Rick has served as a Pro Tem judge in Santa Barbara for many years. He regularly acts as an arbitrator deciding civil lawsuits, and sometimes as a mediator resolving disputes privately. Rick is also a frequent legal education speaker who has lectured on topics ranging from premises liability to construction defect litigation to entity defense.
Education: Western State University College of Law (J.D., 1983); American Jurisprudence Awards in Torts and Agency & Partnership; U.C. Santa Barbara (B.A., 1977) with honors; U.S.A.F. (1969-72), Viet Nam veteran.
Rick is a father of three. His hobbies include golf, boating, and desert motorcycling.