About Richard

Richard is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer with thirty-seven years of experience representing businesses and individuals in litigation, arbitration, and mediation. He has served as an adjunct professor teaching Disability Law at the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University and has served on the Examination Committee for Civil Trial Certification for the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at Texas Wesleyan School of Law. Richard is the author of Accessibility Defense (accessdefense.com), a blog for businesses that focuses on avoiding and defending lawsuits brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act. Richard frequently speaks on ADA and FHA issues and presents webinars of these and other topics. He has been interviewed by The Economist and Forbes, among other publications, on issues related to ADA litigation.

Publications, Seminars and Webinars

  • October 2018 – “DIY for the ADA” – private client webinar.
  • September 2018 – “The ADA and the Internet – The Storm has Broken” – webinar for the University of Texas CLE program.
  • June 2018 – “Understanding the FHA and Animal Accommodation Requests” – private client webinar.
  • April 2018 – “Turning Failure into Success – What to do when mediation fails.” Dallas Bar Association Headnotes.
  • January 2018 –  “Get it Right the First Time – Dealing with Animal Accommodation Requests” – private client webinar.
  • October 2017 – “Everything you need to know about the ADA in 45 minutes,” Dallas Bar Association Solo and Small Practice section
  • September 2017 – “Get it Right the First Time – Dealing with Animal Accommodation Requests” – public webinar.
  • August 2017 – “Fair Housing Act Basics,” client continuing education presentation.
  • April 2017 – “Lawyers, Clients and the ADA” Fort Worth Bar Association Real Estate Section.
  • March 2017 – “You and the ADA” Dallas Bar Association Real Estate Section.
  • February 2017 – “Understanding the Fair Housing Act” – private client webinar.
  • October 2016 – “DIY ADA Compliance” – Dairy Queen Operators Association
  • October 2016 – “Law Firms and the ADA – Private Firms are Public Accommodations” Dallas Bar Association Headnotes.
  • September 2016 – “Basic Fair Housing Act Training.” Private webinar for managers and officers of property management company.
  • August 2016 – “ADA web litigation threats.” private webinar for clients of a web design vendor.
  • July 2016 – “Phoney Business – dealing with FHA telephone ‘testers’” public webinar
  • June 2016 – “Avoiding ADA Lawsuits, a DIY Guide” public webinar
  • May 2016 – “ADA for Mediators” seminar for the Alternate Dispute Resolution section of the Dallas Bar Association.
  • April 2016 – “Just Say No to Bogus ESA Requests” public webinar.
  • March 2016 – “Current ADA and FHA issues for municipalities” presented to the office of the City Attorney for Dallas, Texas.
  • February 2016 – “Dealing with deaf and hearing enabled tenants” private client webinar
  • January 2016 – “ADA and the Internet, Shelter from the Storm” public webinar
  • January 2016 – “Drive-by Litigation” presentation to a private group of restauranteurs in Midland, Texas.
  • September 2015 – “Ethical and Legal Obligations of Local Counsel,” Dallas Bar Association Headnotes magazine.
  • November 2014 – “Avoiding ADA Litigation for Retail Tenants” public webinar.
  • October 2014 – “ADA and FHA Compliance for Apartment Managers” public webinar.
  • October 2014 – “Playing a Losing Hand” article for the Dallas Bar Association headnotes.
  • September 2014 – “ADA and FHA Overview for Decision Making Executives” public webinar.
  • May 2014 – “Accessibility Litigation” in Commercial Investment Real Estate magazine.
  • February 2014 – “Staying out of Court: A Sensible Approach to Avoid the Threat of Litigation for Shopping Center Owners” webinar for the International Council of Shopping Centers.
  • January 2014 – “ADA and FHA accessibility issues for decision making executives,” a private seminar for a client executive group.
  • November 2013 – “ADA issues for retail tenants” webinar for the National Retail Tenants’ Association
  • September 2013 – “New ADA pool requirements” private webinar for association of pool maintenance and service organizations.
  • April 2013 – “Avoiding FHA and ADA Litigation” seminar for the annual Texas Apartment Association Exposition.

Education

  • Juris Doctor, with honors, The University of Texas School of Law 1981
  • Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, Rice University 1978

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Dallas, Texas and American Bar Associations
  • French-American Chamber of Commerce, Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter

Language Skills

  • Reading knowledge and basic conversational skills in German
  • DELF B1 diploma in French.

Awards and Honors

  • AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2004, 2014 through 2018

Admissions

  • State Courts for the State of Texas
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • United States District Courts for the Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of

Texas


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