Phil R. Richards

1983, Oklahoma
1983, U.S. District Court, Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma, U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court

of the American College of Trial Lawyers.{newline}{newline}Mr. Richards graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1983 and began his practice as an Assistant District Attorney in Duncan, Oklahoma. In 1984 he returned to his home town of Tulsa to practice civil law, joining a firm in which he became a partner in 1988. In 1997 he formed the law firm that is now Richards & Connor. He has tried cases to juries in both state and federal courts throughout Oklahoma. He has also litigated insurance coverage matters in Arkansas. Mr. Richards is admitted to practice before all trial and appellate courts of the State of Oklahoma, all federal district courts in Oklahoma, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States.{newline}{newline}His practice areas include business and commercial litigation, insurance coverage litigation, insurance bad faith defense, and the defense of claims involving significant injuries or economic loss in state and federal court.{newline}{newline}Active in the bar, Mr. Richards is a member of the Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel and has served on its Board of Directors (2000-2002), as its Vice-President (2003), and as its President (2004). He has also been active in the Hudson-Hall-Wheaton Chapter of the American Inns of Court since 1995, where he is a Master Emeritus and the Inn's Program Chair (2003-2007, 2011). On a national level, he is a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel and serves on its Admissions Committee (2004-present), its Extra-Contractual Liability Section (Vice Chair 2004-2005, Chair 2006-2008), and its CLE Committee (Vice Chair 2007, Chair 2008 - present). He has also served on the American College of Trial Lawyers' State Committee for Oklahoma since 2006 (Vice Chair 2009-2011, Chair 2011- present).{newline}{newline}He has taught continuing education programs on trial practice, insurance coverage and bad faith law and has authored papers on topics including trial practice, insurance coverage, bad faith, and constitutional jurisprudence. Published decisions in cases he has handled include matters of insurance coverage, bad faith liability, ERISA, medical malpractice, governmental liability, tort liability and commercial litigation.{newline}{newline}Mr. Richards is married and has three children. He is an Eagle Scout, a former Cub master of his son's Cub Scout Pack (2005-2008), and currently serves as an Assistant Scout Master of his son's scout troop and on the District Committee. He is also a Sunday School teacher for the high school class at First Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, and on the Board of the Oklahoma Affiliate of Community Health Charities