Richard Ramsey

Richard Ramsey

Richard E. Ramsey joined Wicker Smith in 1990. He is one of four managing partners within the firm and is located in the Jacksonville office where he is responsible for overseeing office operations.

Mr. Ramsey has over 35 years of experience focusing on professional liability including medical and legal malpractice. He has been asked by several legal malpractice carriers to defend their insureds on cases ranging from complex business transactions, personal injury, trust & estate and taxation matters. He is also well-versed on a broad array of complex litigation involving transportation matters, retail and restaurant defense, healthcare law and risk management, casualty claims defense, products liability, construction, product liability, nursing home, and employment litigation.

Mr. Ramsey is a frequent lecturer and nationally has given more than 70 presentations on topics involving medical and legal malpractice, risk management, handling catastrophic claims, apology and full disclosure, food borne illness and social media.

An AV rated attorney signifying the highest level of skill and integrity, he has successfully tried over 60 cases to verdict, winning close to 90 percent. He represents a wide range of clients including but not limited to a large number of medical and legal malpractice carriers, The Doctor’s Company, Norcal, CNA, Dillards, Publix, McDonald’s, Ruby Tuesday, Office Depot and several hospitals.

Admitted to practice in the state of Florida, Mr. Ramsey is a Certified Federal Court Arbitrator and Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education, a distinction held by fewer than 1% of lawyers in the state. Mr. Ramsey has been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Middle and Northern District Federal Courts in Florida. He has held leadership positions in several professional organizations including US Law, where he served as Chair of the Professional Liability Section for two years and also in The National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association. He has been honored as a Florida Super Lawyer from 2009-2022 and has been listed several times in Jacksonville Magazine’s Best Lawyers and Florida’s Legal Elite. He received his Bachelor of Arts cum laude from New York University in 1984, J.D. from Catholic University in 1987 and a Masters in WWII Studies from Arizona State University in 2022.

Certifications

• Certified Federal Court Arbitrator
• Board Certified Civil Trial Law Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education
  

Reported Cases:

Rodriguez v. Nicolitz, 43 FLW D 1141 (Fla 1st DCA 2018)

Duss v. Garcia, 80 So3d 358 (Fla 1st DCA 2012) (rev. den. Fla 2012)

Tuten v. Fariborzian, 84 So3d 1063 (Fla 5th DCA 2012) (rev. den. Fla 2012)

Schantz v. Sekine, 60 So.3d 444 (Fla 1st DCA 2011)

Shaw v. Jain, 914 So2d 458, (Fla 1st DCA 2005)

Orange Park Christian Academy v. Russell, 899 So2d 1215 (Fla 1^st DCA 2005)

Northup v. Acken, 865 So2d 1267 (Fla 2004)

Florida Emergency Physicians v. Parker, 800 So2d 631 (Fla 5^th DCA 2001)

Roe v. Aware Woman’s Clinic, 253 F.3d 678 (11^th Cir. 2001)

National Security Fire & Casualty Co v. Dunn, 751 So2d 777 (Fla 5^th DCA, 2000)

Hazen v. Kaplan, 734 So2d 441 (Fla 5^th DCA 1999)

Kahlon v. Knapp, 747 So2d 1054 (Fla 5^th DCA 2000)

Watkins v. Wilkinson, 724 So2d 717 (Fla 5^th DCA 1999)

North Corp v. Willis, 729 So2d 508 (Fla 5^th DCA 1999)

Dolin v. West, 22 F.Supp 1343 (M.D. Fla 1998)

Hartford Insurance Company v. Brown, 710 So2d 1387 (Fla 5^th DCA 1998)

Springtree Properties Inc v Hammond, 692 So2d 164 (Fla 1997)

Avalos v. Williford Farms, 561 So2d 1344 (Fla 1^st DCA 1990)

• USLaw Professional Liability Section
  • Secretary: 2015
  • Vice Chair: 2016
  • Chair: 2017, 2018
• Member, International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
• The Florida Bar
  • Former Fourth Judicial Circuit Bar Grievance Committee
• American Bar Association – ABA Advisory Panel
• Jacksonville Bar Association
• Florida Medical Malpractice Claims Council
• Defense Research Institute
• Florida Defense Lawyers Association
• National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association
  • 2015-2016 Chairman of the Education Committee
  • 2012 Annual Conference Committee Member

• Florida Trend Magazine, Florida’s Legal Elite, 2013, 2015
• Jacksonville Magazine’s “Best Lawyers”, 2013-2016
• Florida Super Lawyers, 2009-2022
• USLAW Professional Liability Law Practice Group, Secretary, 2014-2015
• Jacksonville Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” – Civil Litigation, October 2012
• Super Lawyers Business Edition, 2011-2012
• Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow, 2010
• National Board of Trial Advocacy, 2010
• Jacksonville Magazine’s 904 Edition “Top Lawyers” – Medical Malpractice, 2010
• Jacksonville Magazine’s “Order in the Court Top Law Professionals” – Civil Litigation, 2009

Reported Cases:

• Rodriguez v. Nicolitz, 43 FLW D 1141 (Fla 1st DCA 2018)
• Duss v Garcia, 80 So3d 358 (Fla 1st DCA 2012) (rev. den. Fla 2012)
• Tuten v Fariborzian, 84 So3d 1063 (Fla 5th DCA 2012) (rev. den. Fla 2012)
• Schantz v Sekine, 60 So.3d 444 (Fla 1st DCA 2011)
• Shaw v. Jain, 914 So2d 458, (Fla 1st DCA 2005)
• Orange Park Christian Academy v. Russell, 899 So2d 1215 (Fla 1st DCA 2005)
• Northup v. Acken, 865 So2d 1267 (Fla 2004)
• Florida Emergency Physicians v. Parker, 800 So2d 631 (Fla 5th DCA 2001)
• Roe v. Aware Woman’s Clinic, 253 F.3d 678 (11th Cir. 2001)
• National Security Fire & Casualty Co v. Dunn, 751 So2d 777 (Fla 5th DCA, 2000)
• Hazen v. Kaplan, 734 So2d 441 (Fla 5th DCA 1999)
• Kahlon v. Knapp, 747 So2d 1054 (Fla 5th DCA 2000)
• Watkins v. Wilkinson, 724 So2d 717 (Fla 5th DCA 1999)
• North Corp v. Willis, 729 So2d 508 (Fla 5th DCA 1999)
• Dolin v. West, 22 F.Supp 1343 (M.D. Fla 1998)
• Hartford Insurance Company v. Brown, 710 So2d 1387 (Fla 5th DCA 1998)
• Avalos v. Williford Farms, 561 So2d 1344 (Fla 1st DCA 1990)

• Moderator: Proposal for Settlement Insurance, US Law Fall Conference, Washington, DC (September 2019)
  
• Handling Mass Claims: Beware of Danger (Everywhere!), Presented to USLAW, Jersey City, NJ (May 2019)
• Spy The Lie, Presented to Gallagher Bassett TPA, Downer’s Grove, IL (October 2018)
• Ethics for Claims Professionals, The Doctors Company, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (November 7, 2018)
• How Best to be Prepared to Mediate and Take a Case to Trial, Gallagher Bassett, Chicago, Florida (October 17, 2018)
• Preparing for Expert Depositions, Jacksonville Association of Defense Counsel (JADC), Jacksonville, Florida (August 24, 2018)
• Shifting Landscapes: Adapting your Firm to Emerging Threats, Orlando, Florida (August 2018)
  
• How Best to be Prepared to Mediate and Take a Slip and Fall Case to Trial, Amerisure, Tampa, Florida (February 14, 2018)
• Legal Malpractice: A Florida Case Law Update; Redressable Harm, Statutes of Limitation, and Why Not to Implead Third Parties, CNA Financial Corporation (December 13, 2017)
• Prevention and Analysis of Back Injury Claims: Did We Really Cause All This Damage?, National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association (NRRDA) First Annual Lighthouse Seminar, Dallas, Texas (October 19, 2017)
• Favor, Freedom, Lies, and Florida Case Law Update, CNA, Chicago, Illinois (March 9, 2017)
• Spying the Lies: How to Tell When Your Client (or the Insured) May be Lying, National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association (NRRDA) Annual Conference, San Diego, California (March 3, 2017)
• Subrogation, Fraud, and Biomechanics of the Fall – Did it Cause Injury?, CVS, Cumberland, RI (October 5, 2016)
• Mysteries of the Constitution, Daughters of the American Revolution, NE FL Chapter (September 2016)
• Best Practices for Incident Investigations and Depositions, Stein Mart, Inc., Jacksonville, FL (February 2016)
• Excess Casualty Claims: Emerging Trends, XL Catlin Insurance Webinar (February 2016)
• Legal Malpractice: Spy the Lie, Cyber Liability for Law Firms and Legal Update, C.N.A., Chicago, IL (January 2016)
• Errors and Omissions, Insurance Agent Seminar, Longwood, FL (January 2016)
• Stuart v Hertz, Southeastern Grocers, LLC, Jacksonville, FL (November 2015)
• Cyber Liability for Law Firms, US Law, Boston, MA (September 2015)
• Knowing the Law and Spying the Lies, The Doctors Company, Jacksonville, FL (August 2015)
• Dealing with the Problem Employee, N. Florida Medical Group Managers Association, Jacksonville, FL (May 2015)
• Legal Malpractice, Hanover Insurance Company and CNA Insurance Company, Chicago, IL (April 2015)
• The Use of Social Media as an Investigative Tool, Chicago Health Care Risk Management Society, Lombard, IL (January 30, 2015)
• The Use of Social Media as an Investigative Tool, Cayman Captive Forum, Insurance Managers Association of Cayman, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (December 3, 2014)
• Causes of Action Against Adjusters or the Carrier for Ethical Violations, USLAW Seminar, San Francisco, CA (September 2014)
• Ethical Issues Regarding Defense of a “Friendly Suit”, USLAW Seminar, San Francisco, CA (September 2014)
• Caps on Malpractice Verdicts: The Past, Present and your Future, Baptist Health Systems (August 23, 2014)
• The McCall Decision and It’s Elimination of Wrongful Death Caps on Damages, Florida Society for Healthcare Risk Management and Patient Safety Annual Conference, Tampa, FL (August 8, 2014)
• Dealing with the Problem Patient…and Avoiding Litigation, North Florida Medical Group Managers Association Seminar, Jacksonville, FL (March 20, 2014)
• Food Borne Illnesses, Foreign Objects in Food & Food Tampering: How to Recognize, Investigate and Defend, Hartford Insurance Company, Webinar (March 13, 2014)
• Food Tampering Cases: How to Recognize, Investigate and Defend Them, National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association (NRRDA), Webinar (December 19, 2013)
• Sexual Misconduct in Professional Liability Claims: Key Strategies in Defending and Litigating These Claims, US Law Conference, Vancouver, CA (October 5, 2013)
• A Day in the Life of a Catastrophic Slip and Fall – The team approach to defending a large Loss Claim, Claims Litigation Alliance (CLM), Atlanta, GA (February 8, 2012)
• Professional Liability Insurance: Errors and Omissions, Hartord Insurance Company, Lake Mary, FL (August 23, 2012)
• Outpatient Claims on the Uptick…Are You Managing the Risk?, Florida Hospital Association 32nd Annual Meeting and Conference, Orlando, FL (August 2012)
• Intervention by the Carrier: When Is It a Good Idea?, USLAW NETWORK, Dana Point, CA (April 2012)
• Early Claims Resolution, NRRDA, San Diego, CA (February 2012)
• You Dropped a Bomb on Me – Defense of Catastrophic Claims, NRRDA, San Diego, CA (February 2012)
• Risk Aware: What Every Medical Office Manager Needs to Know, Medical Group Management Association, Jacksonville, FL (February 2012)
• Strategies for Early and Efficient Case Resolution, Ruby Tuesdays, Inc., Jacksonville, FL (October 13, 2011)
• Apology and Full Disclosure: How It will Reduce Your Claims, USLAW NETWORK, New York, NY (October 2011)
• Handling Multi-Claimant Actions With Only a Limited Policy Available, USLAW NETWORK, Chicago, IL (September 2011)
• Evidence and Expert Testimony Best Practices: Supporting Your Case, National Business Institute, Jacksonville, FL (June 17, 2011)
• Ethics for Claims Handlers, Wicker Smith Claims Seminar, Orlando, FL (June 10, 2011)
• Defense of Catastrophic Damages Cases, C.N.A. HealthPro, Tampa, FL (April 22, 2011)
• The Slavin Doctrine, The Economic Loss Rule and Chapter 558 Regulations, Amerisure, St. Petersburg, FL (April 22, 2011)
• The Constitution in a post 9/11 World, NE Florida Council of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Jacksonville, FL (September 11, 2010)
• The 2010 National Health Care Act: Key Provisions from a Legal Perspective, Physicians Seminar (April 2010)
• Preparation For Your Deposition, Wicker Smith Claims Seminar, Orlando, FL (May 2009)
• The Constitution in our Daily Lives, Daughters of the American Revolution, San Jose/Jacksonville Chapter (November 2008)
• The Constitution and Appreciation of it, Daughters of the American Revolution, Clay County Branch (October 2008)
• The Constitution, Kiwanis, Lake City Chapter (July 2008)
• From the Exam Room to the Courtroom, ProAssurance (June 2008)
• Evaluation of Cases—By the Numbers, Sedgwick CMS (October 2007)
• The Constitution in our Daily Lives, Daughters of the American Revolution, Columbia County Branch (September 2007)
• Professional Malpractice, Wicker Smith Claims Seminar, Orlando, FL (July 2007)
• And You Think You Are Having A Bad Day?, ProAssurance, Jacksonville, FL (June 2007)
• Grand Rounds on Medical Errors—From Disclosure to Prevention, Florida Gastroenterological Society 41st Annual Meeting, Jacksonville, FL (September 2006)
• Indemnity, Contribution, Joint and Several Liability & Comparative Fault, Wicker Smith Claims Seminar, Orlando, FL (August 2006)
• Smooth Sailing: Navigating the Rough Waters of Modern Day Practice, ProAsssurance, Jacksonville, FL (June 2006)
• Disclosure of Unexpected Outcomes, ProAssurance, Jacksonville, FL (November 2005)
  *Complete List Of Presentations Available Upon Request