Construction Contracts and AI: Managing Risk from Project Formation Through Litigation

Richard earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Santa Clara University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from Stanford University. He has been admitted to practice in California since 1981. In addition to his litigation practice, Richard has served for more than 30 years as a construction arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association's Construction Industry National Panel of Arbitrators.

Richard is widely recognized for his leadership in construction law and dispute resolution. He has been selected to Northern California Super Lawyers in Construction Law since 2019 and is a Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America. His professional leadership includes serving as Chair of the Judiciary Committee of the Santa Clara County Bar Association for 2023–2024, previously serving as Chair of its Civil Practice Committee, and serving on its Real Estate and Business Law Executive Committee. He is also a member of the Trial Law Institute, the Diversity Law Institute, the Order of Optimus, Barrister, and the American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry.

Richard has been actively involved in the legal and construction communities throughout his career. He has served as an arbitrator and mediator for the American Arbitration Association since 1995, handling more than 100 matters through the AAA and private engagements. His community involvement includes serving as a director of the Home Builders Association, KTEH Public Broadcasting, and participation in the ACE Mentorship Program. He has also contributed to youth athletics as a championship coach for Los Gatos Little League Baseball.

Richard has more than four decades of experience advising clients on virtually every aspect of construction law, including contract negotiations, risk management, claims, litigation, arbitration, and mediation. He has successfully mediated hundreds of construction claims and has tried more than 50 complex real estate and construction cases before judges, juries, and arbitration panels. His representations have included obtaining a favorable result for an owner in a 98-day trial involving more than $20 million in breach of contract and defective construction claims, securing full recovery for a retail shopping center owner in a commercial lease dispute, successfully defending prime contractors and general contractors in multimillion-dollar construction claims, and advising the prime contractor on a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project involving change orders, international suppliers, and subcontractor claims. His experience also includes serving as Acting General Counsel to a national construction company, giving him both in-house and outside counsel perspectives on complex construction projects and disputes.