Episode 4.5: What Lawyers Get Wrong About Litigation Funding and the ABS with Rick Meadow
Rick Meadow once wrote a fake press release announcing that Mark Lanier was opening a New York office and naming Rick as the managing attorney.
The office didn't exist.
The press release wasn't real.
A few days later, Mark Lanier called.
That conversation led to the launch of The Lanier Law Firm's New York office and helped shape one of the most successful careers in mass tort litigation.
In this episode of The Heart of Law, Mirena Umizaj Dumas sits down with Rick Meadow to discuss the decisions, risks, and relationships that have defined his four-decade legal career. Rick reflects on helping build The Lanier Law Firm into a national mass tort powerhouse, launching The Meadow Law Firm as one of Arizona's first plaintiff-side Alternative Business Structures (ABS), and what he believes the future holds for litigation funding, mass torts, and law firm ownership.
The conversation moves from the business of law to the personal decisions that shape a career. Rick shares lessons from decades of high-stakes litigation, explains what he looks for in a capital partner, and discusses why he chose to build a firm designed to outlast him, with his daughter Ruby preparing to enter the profession.
Topics covered:
How Rick grew The Lanier Law Firm's New York office from two lawyers to sixteen
Why he chose Arizona's Alternative Business Structure model and how the funding relationship works in practice
What separates a strong litigation finance partner from a bad one
How defense strategies changed after Vioxx and what plaintiff firms need to understand today
The opportunities and risks he sees in social media litigation
Why he's still building instead of retiring after more than forty years in the profession
Creating a legacy firm and preparing the next generation to lead it
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ABOUT OUR GUEST
Richard “Rick” Meadow is the President and Founder of The Meadow Law Firm in Phoenix, Arizona, one of the nation’s first plaintiff-side mass tort practices to operate as an Arizona Alternative Business Structure (ABS), which he co-owns with CFO/COO Kyle Nenninger. The firm maintains an Of Counsel relationship with The Lanier Law Firm, where Rick previously served as National Mass Tort Leader. Over four decades, he has tried more than 25 cases to verdict, settled claims for clients in the hundreds of millions, and was integral to the Lanier team behind the record-setting Vioxx verdicts. In 2008, he testified before the United States Congress on the Sunshine in Litigation Bill. His daughter Ruby has joined the firm and is preparing for law school.
🔗 LINKS FROM THE SHOW:
• Learn more about The Meadow Law Firm
Podcast production by Bebo Hajec of EMH Group
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