Orlando R. Richmond

Practice Areas

Drug and Device Litigation; Product Liability Litigation; Environmental Torts; Mass Torts

Career

Recognized as one of Benchmark Litigation’s 2019-2022 Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America, Rod Richmond is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and American College of Trial Lawyers and an Associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has over 30 years of experience and served as lead counsel or co-counsel in numerous jury trials in state, federal and military venues. He has tried at least 60 cases to verdict and handled numerous administrative proceedings. His trial practice over the past several years has primarily focused on mass tort litigation involving pharmaceutical products, toxic torts and environmental issues. In addition to his product liability practice, he also defends Attorneys General consumer protection litigation for clients in a variety of industries.

He is frequently called upon to prepare and try cases in challenging venues with significant amounts in controversy. AmLaw’s The Litigation Daily profiled him as its Litigator of the Week, May 11, 2018, for his defense verdict in a bellwether Pradaxa® product liability trial, and Law360 featured him as one of its 2016 Trial Pros. He is known for his courtroom presence, calm demeanor at trial and oral advocacy skills. He has extensive experience and success in converting medical, scientific and industry information into presentations that are easy for juries to understand.

Rod is listed by a variety of other industry publications, including Chambers USA, Lawdragon 500 (Mass Tort, Environment & Toxic Tort Litigation), LMG Life Sciences, The Best Lawyers in America, Who’s Who Legal: Product Liability Defence, Who’s Who Legal: Life Sciences, and Mid-South Super Lawyers. He has spoken on trial and litigation-related topics at prestigious industry conferences, including ACI’s Drug and Medical Device Litigation Seminar and IADC’s Corporate Counsel College.

Rod was profiled by the American College of Trial Lawyers in “Fellows as Ministers: Calling and Practice Not Mutually Exclusive,” Journal, Issue 89, Spring 2019, for serving as a pastor of Northside Christian Church in West Point, Mississippi. He is a member of the West Point, Mississippi Hall of Fame. He has served as City Attorney for West Point since 2005. He is a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation, past president of the Mississippi Bar Association’s Litigation/General Practice Section, and served on the Mississippi Governor’s Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee. His litigation career began as a Marine Corps JAG Officer, and he was nominated for Outstanding Young Marine Corps Lawyer for his work.

Rod received his J.D. from Georgetown University and his B.A., cum laude, in Political Science from Jackson State University. Following law school, he clerked for the Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr., District of Columbia Superior Court. He is admitted to practice in Mississippi.

Professional Memberships

American Bar Association; Mississippi Bar Association; National Bar Association; Magnolia Bar Association; International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC); DRI

Publications

In June 2020, Rod authored a two-column article in Fortune on diversity and inclusion. In part one, he discussed three issues that contribute to a law firm environment where diverse lawyers are minimized and ultimately leave law firms. In part two, he discussed potential steps firms can take to address bias and retention. The Wall Street Journal pictured and quoted Rod in a September 2020 article discussing diversity issues and why there are still so few black executives in America’s top companies. His writing on diversity-related topics has also been published in The American Lawyer, DRI’s For The Defense, and Mississippi Business Journal, among others.

Personal

Georgetown University, J.D., 1989; Jackson State University, B.A., Political Science, cum laude, 1986