Rick is a first-chair trial attorney with extensive courtroom experience. Rick concentrates his litigation practice in construction, commercial litigation, government contracting, financial services, and real estate.
He has significant experience in business litigation matters, eminent domain, government contracting, intellectual property, products liability, healthcare, and land use. He has litigated cases throughout the United States with significant experience in the state and federal courts of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Rick has represented clients in all aspects of the construction industry including owners, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals. He has represented various energy clients on their litigation matters. Rick also completed a secondment as in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 energy company where he handled litigation and real estate matters.
In business, Rick has provided all level of services including advice, strategy, litigation, and settlement negotiations. In the area of business litigation, he has a broad range of experience that includes contract disputes, trade secrets, financial services disputes, employment litigation, government contracting, products liability, easement issues, successor liability, zoning issues, patent litigation, defamation, and licensing matters. Rick was recognized for helping his client obtain one of the largest settlements in Virginia for that year.
Rick is an active member of the community. He is President of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Virginia. Rick previously was the chair of the Circuit Court Committee of the Fairfax Bar Association. Rick supported the business community as a board member for the Dulles Area Chamber of Commerce and for the Asian American Chamber of Commerce. He was also a board member of the University of Virginia’s Asian and Asian Pacific American Alumni Network. He is also a member of Leadership Fairfax, Inc., an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Fairfax County through public service. Rick further served his community as a member and chairman of the Board of Directors of Second Story (previously Alternative House), an emergency shelter for run-away teens, young mothers, and at-risk youth.
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Notre Dame Law SchoolJD
Notes Editor, Journal of College and University Law
1996 - University of VirginiaBAEconomics and Foreign Affairs1993
President, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Virginia
Member and Co-Chair, Judicial Screening Committee, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Virginia
Former Chair, Circuit Court Committee, Fairfax Bar Association
Co-chair, General Civil Litigation Standing Committee, Fairfax Bar Association 2011- 2013
Board Member, Asian and Asian Pacific American Alumni Network of the University of Virginia (UVA-AAPAAN)
Circuit Representative, Young Lawyers Division, Virginia Bar Association, 2005-2008
President, Young Lawyers Section, Fairfax Bar Association
Member, Northern Virginia Chapter, Federal Bar Association
Member, Vietnamese American Bar Association of Greater D.C.
- Speaker, Construction Industry Challenges, October 29, 2024
- Speaker, "Navigating a Termination for Convenience or Default," Construction Industry Challenges 2023, May 24, 2023
- Speaker, "Force Majeure Post-COVID-19 and Contract," Construction Industry Challenges 2022, May 24, 2022
- Speaker, "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Revisited – What the Legal Industry Gets Wrong about DEI," Virginia Bar Association 132nd Annual Meeting, January 21, 2022
- Presenter, "Litigation and Regulatory – What’s in the Pipeline? A discussion of current litigation, land rights issues, FERC matters, future projections, and more," Energy & Mineral Law Foundation 42nd Annual Institute, Memphis, TN, June 22, 2021
- Presenter, Land Laws for Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors, May 20, 2021
- Speaker, "Best Practices in Eminent Domain and Condemnation – Part II," Southern Gas Association – 2020 Natural Gas Connect, July 22, 2020
- Speaker, "Best Practices in Eminent Domain and Condemnation – Part I," Southern Gas Association – 2020 Natural Gas Connect, July 15, 2020
- Speaker, Business Beware: Premise Liability in the Age of the COVID-19 Economic Restart, Webinar, May 28, 2020
- Speaker, Real Estate Contract Implications Amid COVID-19 Concerns, April 6, 2020
- Speaker, "What’s Yours is Mine: The Challenges and Law of Eminent Domain in Energy Production and Transportation," 10th Law of Shale Plays Conference, September 4 - 5, 2019
- Speaker, "Diversity in the Legal Community – Practical Solutions to the Development of Diverse Legal Teams," 129th Annual Conference, Virginia Bar Association, Williamsburg, VA, January 25, 2019
- Speaker, Real Estate Development and Construction Project Management, June 20, 2018
- Presenter, "Negotiation: Learn by Doing," Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), General Counsel Summit, April 2017
- Presenter, "Using Effective Legal and Business Strategies to Avoid and Address Pipeline Encroachments," CGA 811 Excavation Safety Conference & Expo, March 2017
- Presenter, "Eminent Domain Law and Procedure," Dominion Resources, January 2017
- Speaker, "Perfect Pitch," National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Southeast Regional Conference, October 2016
- Presenter, "Litigation and Construction Contract Issues," Dominion Resources, September 2015
- Speaker, "Condemnation Quick Hits - What’s the Process," Southeastern Electric Exchange, 2015 Annual Conference & Trade Show, June 2015
- Speaker, "When Excavation Goes Wrong: Litigation Lessons," CGA Excavation Safety Conference & Expo, March 2015
- Faculty Member, "Construction Contract Management: Managing Risk, Handling Disputes, and Avoiding Claims," Construction Contract Management, February 2015
- Presenter, "Acquisition of Land Rights Through Negotiation or Condemnation," Legal Roundtable at the Southern Gas Association Operating Conference, July 2014
- Speaker, "Condemnation Trends in the Post-Kelo Word," Condemnation Trends in the Post-Kelo Word, June 2014
- Panelist, "Bringing Balance to the Force, Small Firm Life," NAPABA 25th Annual Conference, November 2013
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- Virginia
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2024, 2025; Litigation – Construction, 2018-2024; Litigation – Real Estate, 2018-2025; Woodward/White, Inc.,
Named to “Virginia Super Lawyers,” Construction Litigation, Business Litigation, Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2013-2024
Named, “Top Attorney”, Litigation, Arlington Magazine, 2019, 2022, 2023
Named to “Legal Elite,” Civil Litigation, Virginia Business, 2011-2012, 2020-2023
Fellow, Construction Lawyers Society of America, 2017
Named to “Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers,” Construction Litigation, Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2017
Named to “Virginia Rising Stars,” Business Litigation, Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2011
- Author, Construction Industry Challenges: Part 1, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, November 5, 2024
- Author, Incorporating Excusable Delays Into Firm Fixed-Price Subcontracts May Create Liability, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, May 14, 2024
- Author, Chapter 3: The Importance and Impact of Risk Allocation Clauses for Payment Obligations in Hospitality Contracts as Demonstrated by COVID-19 Litigation, Hospitality & Construction Disputes Post-COVID, 2024