Overview

A trial lawyer who handles complex, “bet the company” litigation, Richard Zielinski defends major law firms throughout the United States in legal malpractice cases, partner withdrawals and attorney disciplinary proceedings. According to Chambers USA, Richard is "a well-known and highly respected trial lawyer. He is very practical, very sharp and very quick on his feet.”

Richard also has extensive trial experience in a wide range of business and real estate disputes, including cases involving the financing and construction of large office towers, breach of contract cases, partnership disputes, lender liability cases and cases under the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act (Chapter 93A).

Richard also defends manufacturers in products liability, mass tort and class action cases. For two consecutive years Richard has been named the leading defense lawyer in Boston in these practice areas by Best Lawyers in America. Representative industries include pharmaceuticals, electrical products and tobacco. Richard is a Director with the firm.

Representative Experience

• Successfully defeated class certification in a putative class action against a Massachusetts-based public company under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C § 227
• Represented a group of world renowned physicians and scientists in various civil and criminal proceedings relating to the arthritis drug, Vioxx.
• Defense of a major, national law firm in a case arising out of a $330 million leveraged buyout of a manufacturing company which subsequently went bankrupt. 
• Successful representation of the developers of the largest office complex in Boston in a $300+ million dispute with their lender. 
• Defense of a major tobacco company in hundreds of products liability cases including individual and class actions, and the Medicaid reimbursement actions brought by various state attorneys general in the mid-1990s.
• Defense of a Birmingham, Alabama valve manufacturer in a $300+ million case arising out of a catastrophic explosion at a petrochemical processing plant located near Houston, Texas.