Richard R. Kennedy

Richard Kennedy is recognized as one of Louisiana’s preeminent personal injury trial attorneys. He has recovered multi-million dollar judgments and settlements for clients during his 40-plus year legal career.

Richard is member of the American College of Trial Lawyers. The College is limited to just one percent of the Bar. Lafayette has more than 1,000 attorneys and of that number only 7 attorneys are members of the College. In 1980, he became Louisiana’s first attorney to be certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Law. He is listed as in the Top 100 Trial Lawyers for 2010, 2011, and 2012 by The American Trial Lawyers Association.

He holds the highest rating-AV- given by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Richard also is a Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers in the practice areas of AdmiraltyIMaritime Law, Personal Injury, Civil Trial Practice, and Appellate Practice.

Richard graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana at Lafayette (B.A. 1962 summa cum laude) and from Tulane Law School (J.D. 1965 with honors). He was a recipient of Tulane Law School’s Academic Scholarship. He was a member of the Moot Court Board and the winner of the law school’s Moot Court Competition. After graduating from law school, he was a law clerk for the Honorable Richard J. Putnam of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Richard also served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

In 1965, Richard was admitted to the Louisiana bar. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits, and the U.S. District Courts for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Louisiana. He has tried cases in state and federal courts outside of Louisiana.

Richard is a member of the Maritime Association of the United States, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, American Board of Trial Advocates, the American College of Barristers (Senior Counsel), American Bar Association, Louisiana Bar Association, Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit, Lafayette Parish Bar Association, Master of the Bench in the American Inns of Court, Master of the Bench in the Acadiana and the John M. Duht Inns of Court (Emeritus), and the Outstanding Lawyers of American (membership is limited to 100 attorneys in each state and the District of Columbia).

He is a Faculty Member at Louisiana State University Law School Trial Advocacy Program (1990 – present). Richard has presented lectures at L.S.U. Law School (1980 – present) and numerous Bar Association programs on trial advocacy and maritime personal injury.

Richard practices in the state and federal courts in the areas of maritime personal injury and wrongful death involving offshore and inland drilling and workover rig accidents, accidents on any type of vessel, helicopter accidents, automobile and commercial truck accidents, and business and corporate litigation. He also handles appeals for his clients and other attorneys and law firms in cases before the state and federal appellate courts.

1965 – Louisiana Bar Association

U.S. Supreme Court

Fifth U.S. Court of Appeals

Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

Richard graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana at Lafayette (B.A. 1962 summa cum laude) and from Tulane Law School (J.D. 1965 with honors).

Richard Kennedy is recognized as one of Louisiana’s preeminent personal injury trial attorneys. He has recovered multi-million dollar judgments and settlements for clients during his 40-plus year legal career.

Richard is member of the American College of Trial Lawyers. The College is limited to just one percent of the Bar. Lafayette has more than 1,000 attorneys and of that number only 7 attorneys are members of the College. In 1980, he became Louisiana’s first attorney to be certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Law. He is listed as in the Top 100 Trial Lawyers for 2010, 2011, and 2012 by The American Trial Lawyers Association.

He holds the highest rating-AV- given by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Richard also is a Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers in the practice areas of AdmiraltyIMaritime Law, Personal Injury, Civil Trial Practice, and Appellate Practice.

•Outstanding Lawyers of American (Membership is Limited To 100 Attorneys in Each State and The District of Columbia), 2008
•Highest Rating – AV by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, 1970
•Winner of the Tulane Law School Moot Court Competition., 1965
•Recipient, Tulane Law School’s Academic Scholarship, 1962
•Recognized as One of Louisiana’s Preeminent Personal Injury Trial Attorneys

•Member, American College of Trial Lawyers, 1998
•Member, Maritime Bar Association, 1975
•Member, Louisiana Bar Association, 1965
•Faculty Member, Louisiana State University Law School Trial Advocacy Program, 1990 – Present
•Louisiana, 1965
•U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana
•U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana
•U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana
•U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit
•Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
•U.S. Supreme Court
•Member, Moot Court Board
•Numerous Bar Association Programs On Trial Advocacy
•Member, Louisiana State University Law School Trial Advocacy Program (1990 – present)
•Master of the Bench in the Acadiana and the John M. Duht Inns of Court (Emeritus)
•Member, Master of the Bench in the American Inns of Court
•Member, Lafayette Parish Bar Association
•Member, Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
•Member, American Bar Association
•Member, American College of Barristers (Senior Counsel)
•Member, American Board of Trial Advocates
•Member, American Association for Justice
•Member, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association

$1.7 million jury verdict. The case was tried in federal court in Beaumont, Texas and involved a collision between two 18-wheelers. The jury awarded $1.7 million in general damages for a one-level cervical fusion with some emotional issues, and economic damages for past and future wage losses and past and future medical expenses.

$800,000 plus settlement. The case involved a motor-vehicle accident in which the client suffered non-surgical neck and low back injuries.

$5 million plus settlement. A Jones Act seaman was injured in an offshore accident. He suffered non-surgical neck and low back injuries and post-traumatic stress syndrome. We had part of the client’s settlement structured that provides him a tax-free substantial monthly income guaranteed to age 65 years.

$5 million settlement. A Jones Act case involving a client who suffered a head injury caused by a falling object on an offshore rig. We had part of the client’s settlement structured that provides him a tax-free substantial monthly income guaranteed to age 65 years.

•Lecture at L.S.U. Law School (1980 – present)

•Lecture at Lafayette Parish Bar Association CLE Seminars