Lawyer Overview

Richard Bieder is known throughout the country for his handling of individual and class action cases resulting from mass disasters, consumer rights, personal injuries, unfair trade practices and commercial fraud and misrepresentation. In these cases he has taken on and prevailed over major insurance companies, accounting firms, manufacturers and other powerful institutions. He also prosecutes and defends actions on behalf of business clients.

Richard represented victims in such high-profile cases as: the collapse of the L'Ambiance Plaza building in Bridgeport, Connecticut; the Dupont Hotel fire in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and investors bilked by the Colonial Realty empire. He is currently advising families of individuals killed in the Oklahoma City bombing and the families of individuals killed in the plane crash that resulted in the death of Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown.

Richard Bieder is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate. He is a member of the National Board of Trial Advocacy and served as its President. Richard is also a Past President of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association. He has served as a guest commentator on Court TV.

Outside of the United States, Richard belongs to the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, a United Kingdom organization; is a member of the International Society of Barristers and the Australian Plaintiffs' Lawyers Association. He has lectured extensively throughout the world, including talks in Argentina regarding the training of United States Lawyers, Australia on the misconduct of insurance companies, The Netherlands on obtaining competent counsel, and Ireland on issues related to public safety.

Richard Bieder appears on many audiotapes designed to instruct lawyers on the proper methods of trial of a case. He has published several articles designed to train lawyers on trial preparation and strategy. He has also appeared as a speaker on programs sponsored by the American Association for Justice, the National College of Advocacy, the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, and scores of other state trial lawyers associations and state and local bar association.

Richard has been in charge of several committees of the American Association for Justice, including chairing its: Education Department, National, State, Public Affairs Department, and International Practice Section. He is a Past President of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a certifying body for trial lawyers throughout the United States.

Richard was recently appointed by a Federal Judge to be a Federal Special Master overseeing ongoing litigation between the City of Hartford and its substantial minority population on a vast array of issues.

A U.S. Navy veteran, where he served in the Judge Advocates Corps, Richard is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and earned his law degree at New York University. In addition to the state and federal courts of Connecticut, he is admitted to practice in the U.S Court of Appeals in the 1st and 2nd Circuits, U.S. Court of Military Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Richard Bieder has been awarded a citation by the Connecticut State Legislature for his legal role in an election case of social significance. He also has been recognized by the Stamford Branch of the NAACP for his legal role in a case of significance to that community and has been officially recognized by the Fairfield County Branch of Mothers Against Drunk Driving for his outstanding legal effort, dedication, and support. Among other awards, Richard was the first recipient of the Driscoll/Tianti Memorial Award, given by the Connecticut AFL/CIO, Uconn Labor Education Center, and Connecticut AFL-Cio Women's and Civil Rights Committee in recognition of his contributions to workplace safety and health.

Areas of Practice

• Air Crash
• Automobile Negligence
• Civil Rights
• Class Actions
• Commercial Litigation
• Premises Liability
• Product Liability
• Malpractice

Representative Cases

• Isaac v. Mount Sinai Hosp., 557 A.2d 116 (Conn. 1989)
• Ely v. Murphy, 540 A.2d 54 (Conn. 1988)

West Practice Categories

Business & Commercial Law, Civil Rights, Collections, Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Defense, Premises Liability -- Defense, Products Liability Law, Professional Malpractice Law

Bar Admissions

• Connecticut, 1965
• U.S. District Court District of Connecticut, 1969
• U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1972
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 1965
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1973

Certification/Specialties

• Civil Trial Advocate, Nat'l. Board of Trial Advocacy

Professional Associations and Memberships

• American Association for Justice (Governor)
• Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (Governor)

Education

• New York University School of Law, New York, New York, 1965
  LL.B.
• University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1962
  B.S.

Published Works

• The Case for the Plaintiff, Miami Review, April, 1988
• What it Means to be a Plaintiff's Lawyer, Connecticut Law Tribune, March, 1988
• How to Grab the Jury's Attention in a Medical Case, Trial Diplomacy Journal, Winter, 1982

Address

350 Fairfield Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604

Phones

(800) 366-4421

Faxes

(203) 336-4421

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.koskoff.com