Richard E. Sarver

Richard E. Sarver has extensive jury trial experience, including trials in thirteen different states.  He has served as lead trial attorney in more than 100 jury trials, including complex multidistrict litigation. Many of his trials have been in bet-the-company litigation, where he repeatedly has succeeded before juries. His experience includes federal and state civil and criminal proceedings.  His practice is concentrated in complex litigation, particularly including product liability, environmental, and toxic tort cases.

Rick served as national trial counsel for Johnson & Johnson in multidistrict litigation for multiple DePuy hip implant devices.  He won a complete defense verdict in a hip implant suit in state court in Chicago, Cook County, and a complete defense verdict in the first bellwether trial in a second multidistrict litigation, following an eight week jury trial in Dallas. He has also won complete defense verdicts as lead counsel for Johnson & Johnson in the first and third trials of the Xarelto multidistrict litigation.  As national lead trial counsel for the welding industry, Rick won all 10 jury trials he handled in the nationwide product liability litigation. Juries in Cleveland, New Orleans, Madison County, Illinois and Akron unanimously rendered verdicts for the defendants in these cases. 

Rick handles a variety of environmental matters, including legacy litigation involving claims of property contamination from historic oil and gas operations.  Rick has successfully represented a major oil company in cases arising out of the second largest on-shore oil spill in United States history, including the first-ever Clean Water Act enforcement action under the Oil Pollution Act.  

• Trial counsel for medical device manufacturer in two federal multidistrict litigations and a consolidated Illinois state-court proceeding. Obtained a defense verdict in Illinois state consolidated proceeding following five-week jury trial. Selected as trial counsel for first MDL trial.  Obtained a defense verdict in first bellwether trial in separate MDL following eight-week jury trial.
• Trial counsel for pharmaceutical manufacturer in two multidistrict litigation trials, each of which was tried to a jury and resulted in a defense verdict.
• Defense of five welding rod manufacturers in multidistrict litigation and state court proceedings, resulting in six complete defense verdicts in jury trials.
• Trial counsel for major oil company against United States in first-ever trial for civil penalties under the Oil Pollution Act amendments to the Clean Water Act.
• Trial counsel for major oil company defending over 1000 personal injury, property damage and business interruption claims arising out of oil spill.
• Representation of multi-national pharmaceutical company in pricing litigation.
• Representing major oil company in oil spill litigation related to homeowner property claims in Utah.

Rick has been Chairman and a member of the Board of Directors of the Capital Appeals Project. He also has served actively on the Board of Bounce for Life, a Tulane University Medical Center Cancer Research Program.

For years, Rick has served as a team leader and instructor of the Gulf Coast Regional Program for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. He also has taught Trial Advocacy at Tulane University Law School. He lectures frequently on the rules of evidence and the use of expert witnesses.

Presentations

For years, Rick has served as a team leader and instructor of the Gulf Coast Regional Program for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. He also has taught Trial Advocacy at Tulane University Law School. He lectures frequently on the rules of evidence and the use of expert witnesses.

• Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann L.L.C.
• Trial Attorney, United States Department of Justice Environment & Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice
• Chief, Air Force Environmental Litigation, United States Air Force
• Chief, Third Circuit Trial Counsel, United States Air Force
• Defense counsel, United States Air Force
• Pilot, Aircraft Commander, Flight Examiner and Co-Pilot, United States Air Force