Rick has advised and represented corporate clients - including numerous Fortune 500 corporations - on a national basis for over thirty years. As a partner in some of the most prominent national firms in the U.S., he has earned a sterling reputation for adept handling of complex litigation, including cases with highly complex technological issues and class action suits, and for his penetrating analyses and innovative strategies. Rick has also successfully represented employers in the full range of labor and employment law, and is well-known for defending employers against claims brought under whistleblower protection laws. In Arizona, he is one of only a small handful of lawyers with significant experience and expertise in handling claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations ("RICO") Act.
Honors, Awards & Recognitions:
Litigation Counsel of America (Fellow, 2011-present); Southwest Superlawyers (2005-2008: Employment & Labor; 2009-present: Business Litigation); The Best Lawyers in America (2005-present; Labor and Employment Law); Arizona's Finest Lawyers (2011); Marquis Who's Who in American Law; Marquis Who's Who in America; Marquis Who's Who in the World; National Registry of Who's Who; American Registry of Outstanding Professionals; Strathmore's Who's Who. Mr. Walker is Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent 5.0 of 5 peer review rated.
Prior Affiliations:
Rick has been a partner in some of the most prominent national law firms in America, including the Phoenix office of Quarles & Brady and the Washington, D.C. office of Winston & Strawn.
Academic Positions:
Assistant Professor of Law, 1977-1981 and Associate Professor of Law, 1981-1982, University of South Carolina. Courses Taught: Employment discrimination, labor law, civil procedure and evidence.
Professional & Community Involvement:
Board of Trustees, Arizona Theatre Company (1995-2001; 2004-2010)
Board of Directors, Arizona Association of Defense Counsel (1997-2000)
Board of Directors, Phoenix Community Alliance (2000-2006)
Chairman, Board of Directors, View Control, Inc.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
Publications:
·Audio Interview: Whistleblower Protection Provisions, SkyRadio's "America's Premier Lawyers" program featuring attorney Rick Walker discussing the impact of the recent changes to whistleblower protection law. Aired on American, Northwest, U.S. Airways and America West airlines from December 2006 through February 2007.
·Walker, "The Exorbitant Cost of Redistributing Injustice: A Critical View Of United Steelworkers Of America v. Weber And The Misguided Policy Of Numerical Employment," 21 B.C.L. Rev. 1 (1979).
·Walker, "Court Awarded Attorney's Fees Under The Private Attorney General Concept: A Defense Perspective," 23 U. Kan. L. Rev. 653 (1975).
·LeValley & Walker, "Truth In Lending Class Actions Under Amended Section 130," 24 U. Kan. L. Rev. 471 (1976).
·Siegel, Connolly & Walker, "The Antitrust Exemption For Labor Magna Carta Or Carte Blanche?," 13 Duq. L. Rev. 411 (1975) (reprinted as a chapter in Corporate Counsel's Annual 1976 (H. Friedman, J. O'Brien & H. Schlagman ed.) (1976)).
·Co-Author, Chapter on Whistleblower Protection Law, Arizona Employment Law Handbook (2006).
·Author, Chapter on Agents Versus Employees and Other Working Relationships, Arizona Employment Law Handbook (2010 Cum. Supp.)
·Author, Chapter on Attorney's Fee Petitions, Arizona Employment Law Handbook (2008).
·Chapter Chair, Chapter on Sexual and Other Forms of Harassment, Employment Discrimination Law (1998 Cum. Supp.).
Presentations:
·"The Whistleblower Protection And Antispoliation Provisions Of Sarbanes-Oxley And Other Related Provisions Of Importance To DOE And Its Contractors," presentation to Department of Energy Contractors Attorneys' Association.
·"Licensing In A Nano World," presentation to International Symposium on Nano and Giga Challenges in Electronics and Photonics.
·"Terminating Employees in Arizona," presentation as part of seminar sponsored by National Business Institute.
·"Conducting Discovery in Sexual Harassment Cases: Special Considerations," presentation as part of national Defense Research Institute Sexual Harassment Seminar.
·"The Unsettled (And Unsettling) State of Whistleblower Protection Law," presentation delivered as part of seminar on "Hot Topics In Labor And Employment Law," sponsored by the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Arizona Bar.
·"Involuntary Discharges And Reductions In Force Affecting Older Workers: Preparing For The Litigation Explosion," presentation delivered as part of seminar on "The Older Workforce: Legal, Economic and Human Resource Issues," sponsored by Executive Enterprises, Inc.
·"Advanced Issues in Arizona Employment Law," presentation as part of seminar sponsored by National Business Institute.
·"Employment Testing For Police: In the Crossfire Between Civil Service And Civil Rights Law," presentation to national Police Litigation Seminar sponsored by the Police Foundation.
·"Minimizing Legal Liability Through Careful Hiring Procedures: A Seminar For Corporate Counsel And Personnel Specialists," sponsored by Executive Enterprises, Inc.
·"Performance Evaluation And The Law: Some Problems, Observations And Predictions," presentation delivered to The Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.
·"Section 210 of the Energy Reorganization Act: A Special Challenge For Quality Control Management," presentation to the American Society of Quality Control Energy Division Conference.
·"Justifying The Employer's Decisions: Scored Tests And Other Criteria," presentation delivered as part of seminar on Current EEO Issues sponsored by Georgetown University Law Center Continuing Legal Education Division.
·"The Current Labor Relations Environment Or Insidious Incursions Into The Prerogatives Of Management," seminar presented at the annual meeting of the Truck Renting and Leasing Association.
·"The Significance Of The Uniform Guidelines On Employee Selection Procedures For Compliance With EEO Obligations In The Construction Industry," seminar presented to mid-year meeting of the Associated General Contractors of America.
·"Significant Recent Trends In Procedural And Proof Problems In EEO Litigation" and "Recent Developments Under The Age Discrimination In Employment Act," seminars presented at the Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Bar.
·"In the Cross-Fire Between Civil Service and Civil Rights, seminar presented to the Police Foundation.
