Rick L. Richmond

In 2016, Richmond -- a trade secrets litigator at the top of his class -- led a team of Jenner & Block lawyers in obtaining what is believed to be one of the largest trade secrets verdicts ever, a whopping $940 million.

Representing health care software company Epic Systems Corp., Richmond showed a jury that an Indian consulting agency stole thousands of Epic's confidential files during its work testing updates made to Epic's software all while developing a competing software.

His client's complicated technology allows companies like Kaiser Permanente to keep patient information consolidated and easy to access. Epic Systems Corporation v. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., 3:14-cv-00748 (W.D. Wisc., filed Oct. 31, 2014).

"It's the largest verdict of any kind in the state of Wisconsin," Richmond said, noting the value of the product to the medical profession.

Richmond took no time to rest.

Days after winning the gargantuan verdict, he dove right into a different case, leading the damages portion of yet another trade secrets dispute involving some of the biggest names in the online real estate industry such as Zillow.com, Realtor.com and Trulia.com.

"It was weeks before trial and I jumped in to help on the damages phase," Richmond said, emphasizing that his work was part of a team effort. On the eve of trial, the Jenner & Block team negotiated a $130 million settlement for clients Move Inc. and the National Association of Realtors. Move Inc. et al. v. Zillow Inc. et al., 14-2-07669-0 (Kings Super. Ct. (Wash.) June 6, 2016).

Richmond's successful litigation practice is just one part of his job. He is also the managing partner of his firm's Los Angeles office, which he grew from two attorneys, including himself, at the depths of the recession in 2009, to over 55 today.

"It does take some balance," Richmond said of his dual role, adding that he's always working to find the right way to walk the tightrope of being a manager and a litigator. On top of his civil litigation practice, Richmond is proud of his pro bono work, which he emphasized is something his firm as a whole takes seriously.

"Lawyers, in my view, continue to hold a very important role in our society to ensure that justice is done and people are treated fairly and have access to the courts in a way that allows them to protect their rights," Richmond said of why he values the work. Currently, he is representing a man charged with murder in a case that Richmond describes as "unusual." His client threw one punch in an effort to break up a fight.

"Throwing one punch to break up a fight shouldn't result in a conviction for murder," he said.

-- Nicolas Sonnenburg