MOST LAYWERS ARE NOT AVIATION LAW EXPERTS; RICK FRENCH IS AN AVIATION LAW EXPERT. Few attorneys consistently spend much of their time in aircraft accident wrongful death, personal injury and damages investigation, discovery and litigation, defense of FAA-licensed airman certificate holders (such as pilots and aircraft mechanics). The AIRLAWYER, Richard H. French, Jr. has devoted a substantial portion of his time over his entire career to aircraft crash litigation. Attorney French also handles vehicular crash cases (automobile accidents, truck crashes, motorcycle accidents, etc.), fire claims and general litigation. Attorney French has handled claims or litigation arising from at least 75 separate aircraft crash disasters involving commercial jet aircraft, business jet aircraft, single-engine aircraft, multi-engine piston and jet, turbine-powered large and small airplanes, helicopters, gyroplane, kit plane and homebuilt aircraft.
RICHARD H. FRENCH, JR.'s Resume: LEGAL EXPERIENCE: 1999 - Internationally Judicially Proclaimed Expert in United States Aviation Law. 1992 – Judicially Declared Expert In Major Tort Disaster Litigation. 1985 – Present: THE FRENCH FIRM CO., L.P.A. (Formerly French & Associates Co., L.P.A.), Berea, Ohio Litigation Attorney - Civil litigation, emphasizing representation of plaintiffs. Full conduct of all phases of investigation, pretrial, discovery, negotiation, settlement, and trial in all courts. 1983 - 1985: GALLAGHER, SHARP, FULTON & NORMAN, Cleveland, Ohio: Litigation Attorney - Civil litigation, emphasizing defense of aviation-related matters. Full participation in all phases of pretrial, discovery, negotiation, settlement, and trial in state and federal courts. 1980 - 1983: FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, Washington, DC Trial Attorney - Air crash and administrative claims, participate in pretrial and discovery, conduct federal court and administrative trials. Draft Federal Aviation Regulations and federal Orders. 1979 - 1980: PRIVATE LEGAL PRACTICE, Los Angeles, California: Aviation and general practice, sole practitioner. 1979 SANTA MONICA AIRPORT ASSOCIATION, Marina del Rey, CA: Law Clerk - Prepare evidence and briefs in major aviation, constitutional law, and noise litigation. 1977 - 1978 TUCKER & CODDINGTON, Los Angeles, California: Law Clerk - Prepare pleadings and memoranda of law; analyze depositions in air crash litigation. 1976 - 1977: LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, Los Angeles, CA: Legal Intern - Law Clerk to city attorney in aviation litigation for Los Angeles airports. Bar Memberships: California; Ohio; Washington, D.C.; and New York. Admitted to practice law before the United States Supreme Court, numerous U.S. Courts of Appeal (federal appellate courts), numerous United States District Courts (federal trial courts) and eligible for one-time admissions to practice law in most of the United States for a particular case. EDUCATION: SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW Los Angeles, CA., Juris Doctor, 1978 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Los Angeles, CA., Bachelor of Arts, 1974 PUBLICATION CASES & MATERIALS ON AVIATION LAW Sherman & French, 1978 Aviation law casebook. PILOT EXPERIENCE FAA-licensed Commercial pilot, instrument rated; Over 1800 hours of pilot flight time. Owned and operated Mooney M20E (high performance single-engine 4-seat aircraft) and Cessna 150 (two-seat, single-engine) aircraft for many years. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Legal Services Plan, Attorney Service Provider Ohio State Bar Association State Bar of California Washington DC Bar Association Bar of the State of New York Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers DISCLAIMER: This Web page is not intended to, and does not provide legal advice and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. This Web page is provided to offer a general overview of aircraft accident claims and litigation. Each crash is individual and unique, with many unique factual and legal issues, making the giving of aviation law advice specific to the reader of this Web page impossible.