Richards H. Ford

Richards H. Ford is one of Wicker Smith’s four managing partners. For over 40 years, Dick has been the trusted trial counsel to some of the firm’s biggest clients. He exclusively handles complex litigation matters with the potential for high damages and public exposure across an array of practice areas. He has represented doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, major automobile insurers, trucking companies, national retailers, lawyers and professional service providers, and other corporate clients in a variety of matters, including catastrophic injury and birth injury claims, wrongful death, general liability and bet the company litigation. He serves as national counsel for several clients, and is frequently called to assist or take over a case that has had counsel assigned previously. He has tried well over 125 civil jury trials throughout Florida, and is admitted to practice pro hac vice in nine other states. Many of the cases he has worked on throughout his career have had significant public exposure, including the “super fog” multi-vehicle pile-up case in Florida in 2022 and the hazing death of a member of the FAMU marching band in 2012. Known for his calm and poise under pressure and his exceptional track record at trial, Dick has solidified his reputation as a masterful advocate, consistently delivering favorable outcomes across multiple industries. Dick is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Lawyer by The Florida Board of Legal Specialization. He is also certified with The National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate and by the National Board of Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy as a Board Certified Civil Pretrial Practice Advocate. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, one of only five hundred Fellows in the United States; he is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. Dick is a devoted husband, father, and grandfather whose community involvement includes serving as a member of the Vestry of All Saints Episcopal Church and as a member of the Interlachen Country Club Board of Directors.