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Rick is a Director in charge of the firm's San Antonio, Texas office. Prior to joining the Firm in March 2006, Rick represented Zachry Construction Corporation and its affiliates for over 25 years, as Assistant General Counsel for the Zachry interests. Rick was also a partner in the San Antonio law firm of Johnston, Reed, Watt and Goff. After serving on the Construction Law Section Council in various capacities, Rick served as the Chair of the Construction Law Section of the Texas State Bar in 2001. He is also a Past-President of the Southwest Texas Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel.
In 2001-2002, Rick served as the Chair of the Dispute Review Board for the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center Project, a $300 million dollar project. Rick has established relationships with numerous, highly competent construction litigators and expert witnesses across the country, and holds the highest Martindale Hubble rating of "AV" among his peers. He is licensed to practice in all Texas State Courts and in the Western Federal District Court, the Fifth and Eleventh Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
Rick enjoys basketball, fly-fishing and hunting when time permits.
Practice Emphasis
Rick has significant experience in the development of strategies for the formation of business entities, the drafting and negotiating of all types of commercial contracts, including engineering, procurement and construction contracts for major industrial projects, industrial maintenance contracts, commercial construction contracts, and U. S. Government projects (for which he currently holds a Top Secret Security Clearance).
Rick also has extensive experience in developing strategies for and managing complex construction litigation matters, as well as commercial, labor and employment law disputes.
Education
University of Texas (B.S., 1975)
St. Mary's University School of Law (J.D., 1977)
Admitted
1978, Texas
Texas Supreme Court
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits of Texas
U.S. Supreme Court
U. S. District Court for Western District of Texas
Affiliations
American Bar Association (Construction Law Forum)
State Bar of Texas (Construction Law and Insurance Law Sections)
College of the State Bar of Texas
Texas Bar Foundation (Life Fellow)
International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (Construction Advisory Committee)
Phi Delta Phi
South Texas Construction Law Journal (Member of Editorial Board)
San Antonio Bar Association (Construction Law Section)
Significant Publications
Contingent Payment Clauses & Other Legislative Changes - presented to Construction Financial Management Association, November 2007
Drafting and Negotiating Environmental Indemnity Clauses in Construction Contracts - presented to Houston Bar Association, Construction Law Section, November 2007
Basics of Contracts for Financial Managers - presented to Construction Financial Management Association, November 2007
Enforceability of Contingent Payment Clauses in Texas (September 2007) (Co-chaired AGC - Texas Building branch committee to help in the publication of the book, which focuses primarily on the 2007 Texas statute restricting the enforceability of contingent payment clauses in subcontracts. Rick is the primary author.)
Contingent Payment Clauses: It's A Whole New Ball Game and the Field Has Landmines (Coats Rose, July 2007)
Termination of a Construction Contractor
(Presented to Associated Builders and Contractors, San Antonio Chapter, August 2007)
Bypassing the Low Bidder: An Examination of Texas Bidding Laws Applicable to Local Governmental Entities
(South Texas School of Law Construction Law Journal, September 2007)
Lien Rights of Construction Managers; co-authored with law student Kerri Ranney (South Texas School of Law Construction Law Journal, September 2007)
Expedited Arbitration Procedures - It Ain't Just Plain Ole' Arbitration Anymore (Presented to the 20th Annual Construction Law Conference, San Antonio, Texas, 2007)
NLRA - Supervision Status (Associated Builders & Contractors, San Antonio Chapter, January 2007)
The "Arranger" - Helping the Owner Deal with its Contaminants while Minimizing your Risk of being Contaminated with CERCLA Liability (San Antonio Construction New, September 2006)
A Day Late and Two Million Dollars Short (How Intermediate Delay Leads to Major Consequences) (San Antonio Construction, News, August 2006)
Workers' Compensation Insurance for the Temporary Worker (San Antonio Construction News, July 2006)
Subcontract Guidance For The Contractor: How To Be Stuck In The Middle, Without Getting Stuck, (Presented to the 18th Annual Construction Law Conference, San Antonio, Texas, 2005)
Fourth Annual Basics in Construction Law Course, Instructor/Lecturer (presenting on the topics of Construction Industry Terminology, Contract Terminations, Responsibility for Defective Plans & Specifications, Management of Job Site Accidents, and Dispute Resolution Strategies, San Antonio, Texas, October 2004)
The Ultimate Survival Strategy: The Limitation Of Liability Clause - Drafting an effective limit of your client's liability, for the day when everything else goes wrong, (Presented to the 13th Annual Construction Law Conference, Houston, Texas, 2000)
Rolling the Dice Without Betting All the Chips - Proposal qualifications to protect the Contractor against catastrophic liability, including general limitations of liability, warranty, and indemnity for environmental exposures, (Presented to the 10th Annual Construction Law Conference, Austin, Texas, 1997) |
