Richards Ford Office: Orlando Direct: (407) 317-2170 rford@wickersmith.com Practice Areas: Admitted to Practice:
Corpus Christi, TX |
Richards FordBiographyRichards H. Ford is one of Wicker Smith’s four Managing Partners. He joined the firm in Miami in 1983, and opened the firm’s Orlando office five years later. Today, Orlando is the second-largest office in the firm, and the lawyers developed there under Dick’s tutelage have gone on to open new offices in Tampa, Jacksonville, Melbourne, Pensacola and Atlanta. For over 40 years, Dick has been the trusted trial counsel to some of the firm’s biggest clients. He exclusively handles complex litigation matters with the potential for high damages and public exposure across an array of practice areas. He has represented doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, major automobile insurers, trucking companies, national retailers, lawyers and professional service providers, and other corporate clients in a variety of matters, including catastrophic injury and birth injury claims, wrongful death, general liability and bet the company litigation. He serves as national counsel for several clients, and is frequently called to assist or take over a case that has had counsel assigned previously. He has tried well over 125 civil jury trials throughout Florida, and is admitted to practice pro hac vice in nine other states. Many of the cases he has worked on throughout his career have had significant public exposure, including the “super fog” multi-vehicle pile-up case in Florida in 2022, and the hazing death of a member of the FAMU marching band in 2012. In 2019, he was associated as national counsel to represent a hospital in rural Georgia in a medical malpractice case valued in the tens of millions of dollars, involving an alleged failure to diagnose sepsis that resulted in quadruple amputations in a 57-year old Army veteran. Known for his calm and poise under pressure and his exceptional track record at trial, Dick has solidified his reputation as a masterful advocate, consistently delivering favorable outcomes across multiple industries. He has cultivated lasting relationships with hundreds of loyal clients, who entrust him with their most challenging legal matters time and again due to his dedication to excellence and deep-seated commitment to client service. Dick is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Lawyer by The Florida Board of Legal Specialization. He is also certified with The National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate and by the National Board of Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy as a Board Certified Civil Pretrial Practice Advocate. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, one of only five hundred Fellows in the United States; he is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, has been named to Florida Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America 12 times since 2010, and has twice been named as a Lawyer of the Year in the area of professional malpractice. Dick is a devoted husband, father, and grandfather whose community involvement includes serving as a member of the Vestry of All Saints Episcopal Church, and as a member of the Interlachen Country Club Board of Directors. Professional & Civic Affiliations
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Richards Ford - Partner
Profile
Richards H. Ford is one of Wicker Smith’s four Managing Partners. He joined the firm in Miami in 1983, and opened the firm’s Orlando office five years later. Today, Orlando is the second-largest office in the firm, and the lawyers developed there under Dick’s tutelage have gone on to open new offices in Tampa, Jacksonville, Melbourne, Pensacola and Atlanta.
For over 40 years, Dick has been the trusted trial counsel to some of the firm’s biggest clients. He exclusively handles complex litigation matters with the potential for high damages and public exposure across an array of practice areas. He has represented doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, major automobile insurers, trucking companies, national retailers, lawyers and professional service providers, and other corporate clients in a variety of matters, including catastrophic injury and birth injury claims, wrongful death, general liability and bet the company litigation.
He serves as national counsel for several clients, and is frequently called to assist or take over a case that has had counsel assigned previously. He has tried well over 125 civil jury trials throughout Florida, and is admitted to practice pro hac vice in nine other states. Many of the cases he has worked on throughout his career have had significant public exposure, including the “super fog” multi-vehicle pile-up case in Florida in 2022, and the hazing death of a member of the FAMU marching band in 2012. In 2019, he was associated as national counsel to represent a hospital in rural Georgia in a medical malpractice case valued in the tens of millions of dollars, involving an alleged failure to diagnose sepsis that resulted in quadruple amputations in a 57-year old Army veteran.
Known for his calm and poise under pressure and his exceptional track record at trial, Dick has solidified his reputation as a masterful advocate, consistently delivering favorable outcomes across multiple industries. He has cultivated lasting relationships with hundreds of loyal clients, who entrust him with their most challenging legal matters time and again due to his dedication to excellence and deep-seated commitment to client service.
Dick is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Lawyer by The Florida Board of Legal Specialization. He is also certified with The National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate and by the National Board of Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy as a Board Certified Civil Pretrial Practice Advocate. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, one of only five hundred Fellows in the United States; he is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation.
He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, has been named to Florida Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America 12 times since 2010, and has twice been named as a Lawyer of the Year in the area of professional malpractice.
Dick is a devoted husband, father, and grandfather whose community involvement includes serving as a member of the Vestry of All Saints Episcopal Church, and as a member of the Interlachen Country Club Board of Directors.
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Credentials
Education
- Boston University (J.D., 1979)
- University of Florida (B.A., with honors, 1976)
- Rijks Universiteit te Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands (1974-1975)
Representative Matters
Representation of a Lawyer in a Case with National Exposure
We recently represented the previous General Counsel for a Central Florida State Improvement District in a high profile lawsuit brought by the State of Florida against a prominent Entertainment Company which also owns theme parks. This case involved complex issues relating to allegations of improper collaboration between the District and the Entertainment Company which resulted in a development plan which the State claimed was unfairly favorable to the Entertainment company.
Settlement on Behalf of an Ammunition Manufacturer
Served as local counsel to primary products counsel. Represented a firearm ammunition manufacturer in a claim that a defective bullet spontaneously fired amputating a finger. The case was settled before trial.
$39 Million Defense Verdict for Hospital in Rural Florida
This was a medical malpractice case arising from an alleged perforation of the small intestine during laparoscopic surgery performed by a co-defendant gynecological surgeon. The Plaintiff claimed that the nurses of our client hospital negligently failed to recognize signs and symptoms of a bowel perforation when the patient presented to the hospital on the three consecutive days following the surgery. The Plaintiff claimed that she developed sepsis and other complications, requiring a bowel resection and many subsequent surgeries due to failure of an anastomosis after the bowel resection procedure. Plaintiff’s counsel asked the jury for $39 million at trial, but the jury found no negligence and returned a complete defense verdict.
Wrongful Death Allegation Results in Defense Verdict
The Plaintiff, the Estate of [the Decedent], claimed on behalf of his surviving spouse that the 57-year-old decedent died from a pulmonary embolism two days after an arthroscopic meniscectomy surgery performed by our client, an orthopedic surgeon, in December 2014. The Plaintiff claimed that our client failed to recognize that the patient was at high risk for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism after the procedure and should have received medication for prophylactic anticoagulation following the surgery. The Plaintiff relied upon the opinions of an orthopedic surgery expert for both standard of care and causation claims. The Defendants presented the testimony of an orthopedic surgery expert and hematology expert, both of whom rejected the notion that the patient was at high risk for DVT. The defense’s orthopedic surgery expert testified that it was not the standard of care to provide prophylactic anticoagulation medication. The Defendants’ hematology expert testified that the medication, if given, would not have prevented the Plaintiff’s death. The jury returned a defense verdict after seven days in trial.
Favorable Outcome for a Fireworks Retailer
Defended a fireworks retailer in a case where, during the course of New Year’s Eve celebrations, a mortar exploded, resulting in the amputation of Plaintiff’s left hand and forearm to the elbow. Evidence showed that Plaintiff was intoxicated at the time of the incident and was holding the mortars in his hand to light them, rather than standing them on the ground as intended. Plaintiff demanded $4 million; case resolved for $150,000.
Defense Verdict on Behalf of a Chiropractor in Orange County, Florida
Plaintiff brought suit against his chiropractor after requiring spine surgery a few days after a chiropractic adjustment. Plaintiff called a chiropractic expert and the treating surgeon who performed the back surgery. They asked the jury for over $200,000 in damages. The jury rendered a complete defense verdict.
Practices
- Administrative Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction
- Mass Torts / Class Action
- Medical Law
- Non-profit and Religious Institutions
- Products Liability
- Professional Liability
- Retail
- Transportation
Education
- Boston University (J.D., 1979)
- University of Florida (B.A., with honors, 1976)
- Rijks Universiteit te Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands (1974-1975)
Honors
- Top 50: Orlando Super Lawyers List; General Litigation, Professional Liability: Defense, Personal Injury – General: Defense (2021)
- “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers of America, Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants (2017,2018)
- Best Lawyers in America, Professional Malpractice Law- Defendants (2012 – Present)
- Florida Super Lawyers (2006 – 2016)
- Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite (2004 – 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2018)
- Appointed to Fellows of the American Bar Foundation 2006
- AV® Preeminent™ rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell
Credentials
Admitted to Bar
- 1979, Florida
- 1981, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida including Trial Bar
- 1989, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
- 1994, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
- 1996, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
Professional Affiliations
- The Florida Bar – Health Law Section
- American Bar Association
- Orange County Bar Association
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers
- Florida Defense Lawyers Association
- Central Florida Medical Malpractice Claims Council Board of Directors
- Trucking Industry Defense Association
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- Defense Research Institute
- Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, 2007
Member, Amicus and Public Policy Committee, 2018
Florida State Representative, Membership Development and Retention Committee State Representatives, 2018
Languages
English