Richard Seely concentrates his practice on construction litigation, subrogation and insurance defense matters. With more than 30 years of experience, he represents contractors, developers, corporations and insurers in business litigation, construction defect and product liability matters. Richard has handled numerous cases from initial evaluation through trial and appeal and has extensive experience in mediation and arbitration proceedings.

In addition, Richard maintains long-standing relationships with carriers and commercial clients, providing regular reporting and claim analysis to evaluate liability exposure and litigation strategy. His practice includes defense of subrogation actions, construction defect claims, premises liability matters and product liability disputes through trial.

Prior to joining Segal McCambridge, Richard practiced with several California-based litigation firms and also operated his own practice, where he focused on business and construction litigation. Throughout his career, he has represented developers and contractors statewide and has served as both trial counsel and mediator in complex civil disputes.

Richard earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School and holds a B.S. in political science from the University of California, Riverside.

In his time away from the office Rick runs, surfs, camps and hikes: all of which are a distant second behind spending time with his wife and children.

Professional & Civic Involvement

  • Orange County Bar Association: 2023 – present
  • Association of Southern California Defense Counsel: 2016 – present
  • Coach, El Camino High School Mock Trial team, Oceanside, California, 2024

Practice Highlights

Representative Matters

  • Obtained a defense verdict in a construction defect matter involving a claim of improperly placed rebar. After a two-week bench trial, the court issued a defense verdict against a claim of over $500,000 in damages. The court also awarded over $300,000 in attorney fees, based on prevailing party status.
  • Secured a finding of no liability for traffic coating subcontractor client upon conclusion of 71-day arbitration proceeding related to construction defects of an apartment complex.

Publications

Speaking Engagements

  • “Occupy Crawford,” West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar, 2012
  • “Construction Trends for Subcontractors,” West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar, 2013
  • “Guardians of the Subcontractor Galaxy,” West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar, 2015
  • Subcontractor Wars, the Last A/I,” West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar, 2017
  • “Come At Me, Subro’!” West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar, 2019
  • “Civility, Wherefore Art Thou?” Orange County Bar Association Construction Seminar, 2019
  • “C’Mon People, Smile on Your Brother (Through the Mask!)” West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar, 2021
  • “Subro, Subro, Who’s Got the Subro?” West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar, 2022
  • “A Dose of Civility to Boost Your Ethics,” CLM Construction Seminar, 2023
  • “Civility, Wherefore Art Thou?” Claims Xchange, Education on Location, Napa, 2024
  • “Civility: Honor Amongst Adversaries” Claims Xchange, Education on Location, Nashville, 2024
  • “Civility: Honor Amongst Adversaries” Claims Xchange, Education on Location, Napa, 2025
  • “You Can’t Handle the Roof!” West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar, 2025
  • “Strive Mightily: Act Civilly” West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar, 2025
  • “Mind the Gap: Training the Next Generation for Construction Litigation and Claims Management” CLM Construction Seminar, 2025
  • “We Hold Civility to Be Self Evident: Claims, Litigation, and the Pursuit of Happiness” West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar, 2026

Publications

  • “When The Clock Starts Running,” Construction Claims magazine, 2022