Richard L. Righi

Richard Righi is a founding member of the Righi Law Group. The firm began operation with six lawyers on October 1, 2009. Less than a year later, the firm added its 13th lawyer and opened an Albuquerque, New Mexico office. Righi Law Group provides a full range of transactional and litigation services to builders, developers, general contractors, businesses, individuals and to the insurance industry. Richard Righi has the AV® Preeminent™* Peer Review Rating.

Since 1996, Mr. Righi’s practice has concentrated on representing individuals, contractors and businesses in tort and contract litigation, primarily in the areas of construction defects, complex litigation, general liability, personal injury, product liability and insurance bad faith.

Mr. Righi has tried over 50 cases to verdict in courts throughout the State of Arizona. His trials have involved vehicular homicide (in his early experience as a prosecutor), significant injury cases, property damage/lost profits from product defect, destruction of real property, and construction defect. Notably, Mr. Righi obtained a defense verdict, attorneys fee and cost award on an $850,000.00 contract claim involving the catastrophic failure of Northland Pioneer College in Holbrook, Arizona. His next trial resulted in a defense verdict and cost award on behalf of a general contractor and land owner on a 280,000.00 property damage claim alleging negligent re-direction of storm water in Sedona, Arizona. His most recent trial on behalf of a general contractor resulted in a defense award on a 1.7 million dollar job-site injury claim.

Mr. Righi has defended owners, developers, and general contractors in complex construction defect matters since 1999. Mr. Righi represents the interests of clients at the request of national insurance carriers and understands how to effectively manage third-party litigation. Mr. Righi also has experience pursuing primary and additional insurance coverage for his clients; equitable contribution on behalf of insurance carriers; and litigating insurance bad faith issues that arise from complex litigation including defect and toxic tort litigation. In addition to his trial experience, Mr. Righi has taken significant cases to binding arbitration, pursued cases to judgment, secured payment on behalf of his clients, and argued before the Arizona Court of Appeals.

Mr. Righi is a mediator and arbitrator. In that capacity, he serves as a Judge Pro Tempore of the Maricopa County Superior Court. He has achieved tremendous success for his clients by applying his mediation skill set to litigation matters. Rick has developed a reputation as a problem solver by focusing on protocol designed to cost-effectively advance cases and achieve early resolution. And when a case cannot be resolved early in the process for whatever reason, Mr. Righi has a proven track record at trial.

Rick is the current President of the Arizona Association of Defense Counsel, the Arizona affiliate of the DRI. He is a former member of the Maricopa County Bar Association Construction Law Section, and belongs to the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona. Mr. Righi has lectured locally and nationally on topics relating to construction and tort litigation.