ABOUT

A partner in the Corpus Christi office of Hartline, Dacus, Barger, Dreyer & Kern, L.L.P., Richard has maintained an active trial practice for over 30 years. He graduated from Texas Christian University and attended Texas Tech School of Law where he received his J.D. After serving as a Captain in the Armored Cavalry, he began his full time legal practice in Corpus Christi with the firm of Sorrell, Anderson & Sorrell with an emphasis on business and commercial litigation. In 1979, Richard joined the law firm of Brin & Brin, P.C., expanding his practice into the defense of product liability, toxic tort, premises and professional liability cases and becoming the managing member of the firm. Following the death of Ron Brin, Richard joined his friends, Darrell Barger and Mike Terry, in the Corpus Christi offices of Hartline in 2004, where he has continued an active trial practice.

CASE EXPERIENCE

• Defended automobile manufacturers and component part suppliers in claims dealing with automobile restraint systems, seat belts and airbags, successfully defending some of the early “child death airbag” claims.
  
• Defended health care and medical device claims, including suits against manufacturers of heart/lung machines, joint implants, pacemakers, and was involved in the early HIV contaminated blood claims.
  
• Defended doctors and hospitals in both premises and professional liability claims, as well as “Qui Tam” and cost reimbursement claims.
  
• Defended numerous toxic tort claims including not only silicosis, asbestosis and cancer claims, but also claims involving contamination to underground water and the defense of toxic shock syndrome claims.
  
• Appointed by the Federal Court to represent the interests of the inmates and successfully prosecuted the Nueces County jail over crowding and civil rights cases.
  
• Has been involved in the defense of numerous personal injury claims arising from oil field, industrial and refinery accidents and commercial and business litigation.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

President of Student Bar Association, Moot Court Board and Delta Theta Phi and member of the Order of Barristers while at Texas Tech University
Texas Young Lawyers Association, member, former board member and committee chair
Nueces County Young Lawyers, former president
Corpus Christi Bar Association, director and committee chair
Texas Association of Defense Counsel, member and former director
State Bar of Texas, member and past director
Texas Bar Foundation, life fellow
American Bar Foundation, fellow
American Bar Association, member active in Trial & Insurance Practice Section
American Board of Trial Advocates, certified "Advocate" and former national board member
ABOTA Corpus Christi Chapter, former president
Reynaldo Garza Chapter, American Inns of Court, master and founding member

NOTEWORTHY

Selected by his peers as a Master of the American Inns of Court

Advocate status in the American Board of Trial Advocates

Frequently named to Best Lawyers in America and Texas Super Lawyers

Has served as an adjunct professor of law at Corpus Christi State University, now Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and continues to be a regular speaker at continuing legal education courses for the State Bar of Texas

Named to membership, Litigation Counsel of America