Richard Alexander
Top rated Products Liability attorney in San Jose, California
Alexander Law Group, LLP
Practice Areas: Products Liability, Personal Injury, Insurance Coverage; view more
Licensed in California since: 1971
Education: The University of Chicago Law School
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2004, 2008 - 2024 Call today:
408-634-7001
Virtual Appointments Alexander Law Group, LLP
99 Almaden BlvdSuite 700
San Jose, CA 95113 Visit website
Details
Nationally renowned for his work in personal injury litigation, attorney Richard Alexander is the founder and managing partner of the San Jose, California, law firm Alexander Law Group, LLP, and represents clients in San Francisco, Oakland and Redwood City. Knowledgeable in all facets of personal injury law, he handles matters related to:
- Auto, bicycle and motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Burn injuries
- Wrongful death
- Childhood sexual assault
- Product liability
- Insurance law
A deeply compassionate legal practitioner, Mr. Alexander is always keen to help those who have sustained injuries due to no fault of their own. A career spanning more than half a century, there is rarely any situation that can catch him off guard. In addition to receiving Avvo’s Clients’ Choice Award and rated a perfect 10 by the same organization, he is also rated Distinguished* through Martindale-Hubbell.
With an innumerable number of verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients, Mr. Alexander has been recognized by the American Trial Lawyers Association in their Top 100 California Lawyers list, named an Elite Lawyer by the National Law Journal and received the Mayor’s Commendation for Distinguished Service by the city of San Jose, among many other honors and achievements.
After graduating in 1966 with his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Ohio Wesleyan University, Mr. Alexander attended the University of Chicago Law School and was a recipient of the Full-Tuition National Honor Scholarship. He received his Juris Doctor in 1969. Licensed to practice in Michigan and California, he is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
Mr. Alexander has taken his practice nationwide, representing his clients in New York, Nevada, Ohio, Missouri, Montana and 20 other states. He has obtained compensation for his clients defending them against mammoth corporations, from Union Pacific Railroad, Pacific Gas & Electric and Amtrak to General Motors, Ford, Johnson & Johnson and even the United States government.
A pillar of leadership in the legal community, Mr. Alexander holds memberships in myriad prestigious legal organizations such as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Santa Clara County Bar Association and the American Arbitration Association. He is also the founding member of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice and the National Association of Consumer Advocates, not to mention the variety of leadership roles he has served in many more organizations.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Insurance Coverage, Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: PlaintiffFocus areas
Bad Faith Insurance, Birth Injury, Brain Injury, Insurance, Insurance Defense, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motor Vehicle Defects, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 30% Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff
- 40% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 20% Insurance Coverage
- 10% Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 1971, California
Professional Webpage: https://alexanderlaw.com/san-jose-personal-injury-attorneys/...
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Santa Clara County Criminal Justice Advisory Board, Chair, 1978 to 1980
- California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, Founding Member
- California Trial Lawyers Association, Recognized Experience in Trial, Trial Law, Personal Injury and Product Liability
- Roscoe Pound Foundation, Member
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Member
- California Trial Lawyers Association, Executive Committee, Member, 1991
- California Trial Lawyers Association, Vice President, 1995 to 1996
- California Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Governors, Member, 1990 – 1994, 1997 – 1999
- State Bar of California, Vice President, 1987 to 1988
- State Bar of California, Board of Governors, Member, 1985 to 1988
- State Bar of California, Committee on Professional Ethics, Member, 1977 to 1981
- Santa Clara County Bar Association, President, 1984 to 1984
- Santa Clara County Bar Association, Trustee, 1979 to 1981
- Santa Clara County Bar Association, Member
- National Association of Consumer Advocates, Founding Member
- American Arbitration Association, Panel of Arbitrators, Member
- California Lawyers’ PAC, Board of Directors, Member, 1989
- Nat’l Plaintiff’s Management Committee, Bausch & Lomb Contact Lenses, Class Certified by the U.S.D.C. of Georgia, Member, 1994 to 1994
- Richmond Toxic Cloud Class Action, Executive Committee, Member
- Allstate Neighborhood Agents Class Action, Executive Committee, Member
- National Plaintiff’s Attorneys’ Committee, General Motors’ Pick-up, Saddle Bag Gas Tanks Class Action, Phila. U.S.D.C., E.D. Penn., Member
- National Plaintiff’s Attorneys’ Committee, General Electric Energy, Choice Light Bulb Fraud Class Action, U.S.D.C., N.D. Cal., Member
- National Plaintiff’s Attorneys’ Committee, Sears Automotive Fraud, Class Action, Concluded, Member, 1992 to 1992
- Southern Pacific R.R. Sacramento River Spill, Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, Member, 1991 to 1991
- PSA Air Disaster, Plaintiff’s Steering Committee, Member, 1987 to 1987
- Santa Clara County Law Library Foundation, Founding Director, 1985
- Superior Court Arbitration Administration Committee, Co-Chair, 1979 to 1982
- Michigan, 1969
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1972
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1974
- California, 1971
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- Civil Trial Advocate, National Board of Trial Advocacy
Honors/Awards:
- First Recipient, Pro Bono Award for Advocacy & Service on Behalf of Persons Injured in the Work Place, Santa Clara Ctr for OSHA, August
- Super Lawyer, Northern California Super Lawyers
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America, American Trial Lawyers Association
- Highest Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
- Rated “Superb” by AVVO
- Best Personal Injury Lawyer, San Jose Magazine
- Nominee, Statewide Street Fighter of the Year, Consumer Attorneys of California
- Trial Lawyer of the Year, Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association
- Outstanding Young Men of America
- Santa Clara County Youth Commission Medal
- Mayor’s Commendation for Distinguished Service
- Man of the Year Award, Women’s Fund
Educational Background:
- Ohio Wesleyan University, Bachelor of Arts degree with Double Majors in Economics and Political Science with Phi Sigma Alpha, 1966
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Breast Implants, L-Tryptophan and Utility Pick-up Trucks, Ethics in Business Forum, May 1992
- A New and Developing Tort: Adoption Fraud, California Trial Lawyers Association Tahoe Convention Handbook, March, 1993
- Fraud by Adoption Agencies, 23 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 27, March, 1993
- Cutting Edge Litigation: Computer Simulation and Animation in the Courtroom – The New Wave, California Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco Convention Handbook, November, 1993
- Traumatic Brain Injury – Proving a Lifetime Disability, California Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco Convention Handbook, November, 1994
- Proving Chemically Induced Asthma Symptoms: Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome, A New Medical Development, 22 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 13, July/Aug, 1992
- Product Liability: Preventing Deaths From Tire Explosions Caused by Known Design Defects, 22 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 17, September, 1992
- Preparing the Defective Product Case, 47 The California Legal Secretary 34, February, 1993
- Cancer War Needs an Informed Public: Known Carcinogens to be Avoided, 22 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 13, 1992
- A Protocol for Increasing Client Communication and Successful Case Outcomes: Replicating the Medical Model of Service Delivery in a Remedial Practice, 21 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 357, 1991
- Ending Secrecy in Defective Product Litigation: New Federal Reporting Rule for Consumer Products, 21 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 103, 1991
- A Developing Toxic Tort: Lumber Mills, Log Cabins, Leukemia, Lymphomas and Soft Tissue Sarcomas: The Case against Pentachlorophenol (Co-Authored with Robert Bohn), 21 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 195, 1991
- Aviation Litigation: Protecting Government From Liability – FAA Approach to Flight Safety, 21 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 67, 1991
- Ending Secrecy in Defective Product Litigation, 21 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 133, 1991
- Limiting the Application of Proposition 51 in Cases of Liability Based on Public Policy, 20 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 299, 1990
- Proving a National Real Estate Franchisor’s Joint Venture Tort Liability, 20 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 221, 1990
- New Directions in Product Liability Warning Cases (Co-Authored with Robert Bohn), 18 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 123, 1988
- Civil Litigation Specialist–Time for Comment, 17 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 173, 1987
- The Effect of Inflation or Damages for Future Losses, 16 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 173, 1986
- The Litigation Explosion Myth and the Confusion About Court Congestion 15 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 290, 1985
- It’s Time for the Bar to Meet the Press, 15 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 234, 1985
- Attorney’s Fees for Pro Bono Services, 15 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 60, 1985
- Ethical Considerations: Organized Labor Actions by District Attorneys and Public Defenders, 21 In Brief 35, 1984
- Punitive Damages: Corporate Liability for the Acts of Agents and Employees (Co-Authored with Robert Bohn), 13 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 338, 1983
- Admiralty, Federalism and the New York Direct Action Statute: Seamen’s Rights to Enforce Jones Act Judgments, 49 Brook. L. Rev. 179, 1983
- Product Liability Cases: A Game Plan for Success, 12 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 95, 1982
- Admissibility of Experimental Evidence, 12 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 190, 1982
- Complex Litigation: How to Harness the Information Explosion, 15 Trial 74, 1982
- Grand Jury Indictment Versus Prosecution by Information–An Equal Protection–Due Process Issue (Co-Authored with Sheldon Portman), 25 Hastings L.J. 977 (Adopted, Hawkins v. Superior Court, 22 C.3d 584, 1974), 1978
- Arrest Record Expungement in California: The Polishing of Sterling (Co-Authored with Kathleen Walz), 9 U.S.F. L. Rev. 299, 1974
- Privacy, Banking and the Supreme Court; A Before and After Look at Miller (Co-Author with Roberta Spurgeon), 10 Sw. U. L. Rev. 13, 1978
- The Right to Privacy and Arrest Record Retention of the Innocent, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice Forum, May, 1974
- Videotape in the Courtroom, 14 In Brief 50, 1978
- Consumers’ Rights in the Legal Marketplace, 54 Cal. St. B.J. 314, 1979
- Products Liability: Proving the Plaintiff’s Case, 18 In Brief 22, 1981
- Advanced Litigation Support: Computerized Information Sources for Trial Attorneys, 12 California Trial Lawyers Association Forum 54, 1982
- Habeas Corpus and Mandamus as Remedies for Denial of Administrative Discharges, Chicago Military Conference, 00/00/1970 to 00/00/1970
- Constitutional Developments: The Fourth Amendment, California Trial Lawyers Association, Newport Beach, 00/00/1973 to 00/00/1973
- Moderator, Search and Seizure and Eyewitness Identification, School of Law, University of Puget Sound, Continuing Legal Education of the Bar, 00/00/1985 to 00/00/1985
- Products Liability, Preparation and Proof of the Plaintiff’s Case, California Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco/Los Angeles, 00/00/1978 to 00/00/1978
- Developments in Product Liability Law, Bay Area Legal Secretaries Forum, Sunnyvale, 00/00/1980 to 00/00/1980
- Products Liability, an Overview, San Francisco, 00/00/1981 to 00/00/1981
- Creative Approaches to Discovery, Redwood Empire Trial Lawyers Association, 00/00/1981 to 00/00/1981
- Computerized Discovery and the Information Explosion, Ventura County Trial Lawyers Association, 00/00/1981 to 00/00/1981
- Advanced Discovery Techniques: Modern Information Sources, Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association, 00/00/1982 to 00/00/1982
- Anatomy of an $8.5 Million Settlement, Throop v. Conrail, Georgetown University Law Center, Continuing Legal Education Division, Washington, District of Columbia, 00/00/1981 to 00/00/1981
- A Multimillion Dollar Judgement, From Beginning the Settlement, Georgetown University Law Center, Continuing Legal Education Division, Washington, District of Columbia, 00/00/1982 to 00/00/1982
- Tort Damages for Child Abuse, Georgetown University Law Center, Continuing Legal Education Division, Washington, District of Columbia, 00/00/1984 to 00/00/1984
- Representing the Victim of Sexual Assault, Santa Clara County Bar Association, 00/00/1984 to 00/00/1984
- Epilogue to Amelia, San Francisco Women in Criminal Justice, 00/00/1984 to 00/00/1984
- Bad Faith Litigation, Establishing Insurance Coverage in Child Molestation Cases, California Trial Lawyers Association, San Diego, 00/00/1984 to 00/00/1984
- Increasing Professional Visibility Through the Media, State Bar of California Conference of Bar Leaders, San Jose, 00/00/1985 to 00/00/1985
- Remedies for Victims of Crimes While Avoiding the Intentional Tort Insurance Exclusion, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 00/00/1985 to 00/00/1985
- Civil Remedies for Victims of Crime, Santa Clara County Victim Witness Assistance Center, 00/00/1985 to 00/00/1985
- Child Abuse and the Law, Child Advocacy Council, Redwood City, 00/00/1985 to 00/00/1985
- New Developments in Providing Compensation for Victims of Crime – The Molested Child, Joint Meeting of the Certified Family Law Specialists and the Palo Alto Bar Association, 00/00/1985 to 00/00/1985
- Medical Malpractice and Today’s Insurance Environment, Western Section Radiologists Educational Seminar, San Francisco, 00/00/1986 to 00/00/1986
- A Day in Court, California Trial Lawyers Association, San Jose, July 1986
- Advanced Advocacy College – Demonstrative Evidence, California Trial Lawyers Association, Los Angeles, May 1986
- Direct Evidence in Civil Trial Practice, California Trial Lawyers Association, Annual State Convention, Newport Beach, 00/00/1986 to 00/00/1986
- Meeting the Challenge of the Child Sexual Abuse Case, Redwood Empire Trial Lawyers Association, Santa Rosa, 00/00/1986 to 00/00/1986
- State Bar Board of Governors’ Report, Santa Cruz County Bar Association, October 1986
- Recovering Damages for Child Abuse, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Northern California Chapter, San Francisco, January 1987
- Effective Investigation – A Special Case Study, Central Coast Claims Association, San Jose, February 1987
- Prescription for Recovery of the Abused Child: An Inter-Disciplinary Approach, Children’s Hospital Mental Health Symposium, San Francisco, February 1987
- Trial Skills Workshop, University of California Continuing Education of the Bar, San Jose, June 1987
- Settling Personal Injury Cases with Your Eyes Open – Settlement Law and Practice, The Rutter Group and the Santa Clara County Bar Association, San Jose, July 1987
- Update on Mandatory Legal Malpractice Insurance, The State Bar of California, Los Angeles, September 1987
- 1988 Update: Personal Injury Litigation/1987 Reform Legislation, The Rutter Group and the Santa Clara County Bar Association, San Jose, January 1988
- Malpractice and Professional Liability, National Association of Social Workers, San Jose, 00/00/1988 to 00/00/1988
- 1989 Update Program: Personal Injury Litigation, The Rutter Group and the Santa Clara County Bar Association, San Jose, February 1989
- Sharpening Your Basic Trial Skills, University of California Continuing Education of the Bar
- Liens on Personal Injury Recoveries, Sunnyvale, September 1989, Monterey, August 1989, Fresno, August 1989
- Fundamentals of Personal Injury Litigation, 24 Hour Course, San Jose, November 1989, November 1987, December 1985, November 1981-1984
- Demonstrative Evidence in Products Liability Cases, California Trial Lawyers Association, Lake Tahoe, March 1990
- Maximizing Recoveries for Victims of Personal Injuries, Central Coast Trial Lawyers Association, San Luis Obispo, May 1990
- Joint and Several Liability Revisited, University of California Continuing Education of the Bar, San Jose, August 1990
- 7th Annual Advocacy College – Trial Skills by the Masters, California Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco, September 1990
- Proposition 51 Complications in Cases of Employer Negligence, California Trial Lawyers Association, San Diego, November 1990
- Proving Defective Design in Defective Automobile Cases, California Trial Lawyers Association, San Diego, November 1990
- Products Liability: Ending Secrecy in Defective Product Litigation – New Federal Reporting Rule for Consumer Products, California Trial Lawyers Association, Lake Tahoe, March 1991
- Professor John J. Montgomery of Santa Clara County College v. Wilbur and Orville Wright of Dayton, Ohio, A Paternity Suit to Determine the True Father of American Aviation, Santa Clara University/Santa Clara County Historical Society Court of Historical Review, March 1991
- Legal and Financial Issues for Head Injury Survivors and Their Families, Brain Injury Task Force of Santa Clara County and the Family Survival Project, May 1991
- Torts of Abuse, California Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco, November 1991
- The Mac in the Law Office: A Research Tool in Toxic Tort Injury Cases, MacWorld Exposition, San Francisco, 00/00/1992 to 00/00/1992
- Traumatic Brain Injury and the Legal System, Brain Injury Rehabilitation Conference, San Jose, 00/00/1992 to 00/00/1992
- Lecturer, Traumatic Brain Injury – Proving a Lifetime Disability, California Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco, November 1994
- Computer Simulation and Animation in the Courtroom, CTLA Annual Convention, San Francisco, November 1993
- Adjunct Faculty, Advocacy Skills Workshop: Closing Argument and Trial, Stanford University School of Law, January 14-15, 1994
- Lecturer, Consumer Class Actions: A Primer for P.I. Attorneys, California Trial Lawyers Association, Lake Tahoe, April 1994
- Lecturer, Bridging the Gap: A Program for New Attorneys – Developing Your Talents, Santa Clara County Bar Association, February 1994
- Lecturer, Creative Advocacy Training Trial Skills Workshop, San Francisco Bar Association, May 1994
- Lecturer, Anatomy of a Crisis when a Medical Device Product Fails — Plaintiff’s Perspective, 1994 Medical Device CEO Summit, Pebble Beach, September 1994
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18 Years Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyers: 2004, 2008 - 2024
