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Richard H. Nakamura, Jr.

Senior Counsel

Richard Nakamura guides his clients through the appeals process, helping clients preserve a victory or reverse an erroneous decision.

Richard is a highly respected member of the appellate community in Southern California. Richard builds cases from an appellate perspective, and has more than 80 appellate opinions to his name. He has written hundreds of appellate briefs and argued numerous cases in the state and federal appellate courts, including the Supreme Court of California and the Supreme Court of Nevada.

Outside the office, Richard was one of the longest serving editors and past chair of the Editorial Board of the award-winning Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine. He interviewed former Chief Justice Ronald George for a cover-page story on Justice George’s tenure as Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court. Richard also worked as an editor at the Bureau of National Affairs in Washington, DC, where two of his articles won first prize for specialty writing in the Newspaper Guild’s Front Page Awards.

Richard’s admission to practice in Virginia and District of Columbia are currently inactive.

Education

B.A., cum laude, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 1979
Syracuse, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
J.D., Antioch School of Law, Washington, D.C., 1982

Recognitions

AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated – Martindale-Hubbell

Named to the Southern California Super Lawyers list by Thomson Reuters (2006-2010 and 2013-2023)

Named among Best Lawyers in America© for Appellate Practice by Best Lawyers (2020-2025)

Memberships

Appellate Courts Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Member

State Appellate Judicial Evaluation Committee, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Past Member

Amicus Committee of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel

Los Angeles County Bar Association, Past At-Large Trustee

Second Appellate District’s Self-Help Clinic, Volunteer

Haven House, Secretary and Member of the Board of Directors

State Bar Licenses

California

Court Admissions

U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
U.S. District Ct., C.D. of California
U.S. District Ct., District of Hawaii

Achievements

Public Counsel’s 2022 Pro Bono Award, Honored by the Consumer Rights & Economic Justice Project (Appellate Clinic).

Articles
  • “A Path to Writeousness: What the Seven Deadly Sins Might Teach Us About Written Advocacy”, California Litigation, the Journal of the Litigation Section (publication of The California State Bar), Vol. 28, No. 1 (2015)
  • “Statutory Anomaly May Decide Public Records Case,” Los Angeles Daily Journal, July 9, 2014
  • “Random Acts of Citation and Other Perils of Dictionary-Itis,” LACBA’s Corporate Law Departments Section Newsletter, Corporate Counsel, Summer 2013 Edition
  • Carson Harbor: Beneath Its Plain Meaning, Pollution Liability Report (Mealey’s 2001)
  • On To A Higher Court, Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine (1999)
  • Nakamura, Don’t Speak: Prilliman Sparks Discussion About Employee Silence, Los Angeles Daily Journal (1997)
  • Pride and Prejudice in the Workplace: Can the ADA Split the Difference Without Splitting Hairs?, Federal Lawyer Magazine (1996)
  • Statsky, Hussey, Diamond & Nakamura, Legal Desk Reference (West Publishing 1991)
  • Special Practice Series, Litigating Police Abuse Cases Under 42 USC 1983, 5 BNA Civil Trial Manual 482, 555 (1989)
  • Special Practice Series, Litigating Transfusion AIDS Cases, 5 BNA Civil Trial Manual 90, 167, 192 (1989)
  • Practice Guide, Sindell Variations Broaden Pleading Options, 4 BNA Civil Trial Manual 250 (1988)
  • Perspective, Medical Malpractice Reform Meets Increased Resistance, 4 BNA Civil Trial Manual 67 (1988)
  • Practice Guide, AIDS Litigation Generates Epidemic of Legal Issues, 4 BNA Civil Trial Manual 19 (1988)
  • Perspective, Tort Reform in 1987 Brought Few Changes, Few Retreats, 3 BNA Civil Trial Manual 586 (1988)
  • Perspective, Rule 11 and Continuing Duties, 4 BNA Civil Trial Manual 300, 324 (1988)
  • Perspective, Do Secret Advisors To Judges Survive The Federal Rules?, 4 BNA Civil Trial Manual 169 (1988)
  • Perspective, Behind the Baby M Decision: Surrogacy Lawyering Reviewed, 3 BNA Civil Trial Manual 162 (1987)
  • Analysis, Courts Search for Standards of Review of Rule 11 Orders, 3 BNA Civil Trial Manual 450 (1987)
  • Analysis, The New False Claims Act: Help For Citizen Sleuths, 3 BNA Civil Trial Manual 260 (1987)
  • Technique, Surveillance Films: Are They Discoverable?, 3 BNA Civil Trial Manual 332 (1987)
  • Analysis, Cases on Summary Judgment Prompt New Rule 56 Proposals, 3 BNA Civil Trial Manual 540 (1987)
  • Analysis, Toxic Tort Damages: Boundaries Are Expanding, 3 BNA Civil Trial Manual 234 (1987)
  • Technique, Beyond Bankrupt Tortfeasors: Beating The Bankruptcy Stay, 3 BNA Civil Trial Manual 64 (1987)
  • Technique, Turnabout on Thermograms Chills Recent Acceptance, 2 BNA Civil Trial Manual 140 (1986)
  • Technique, Public Opinion Polls Aid Change of Venue Motions, 2 BNA Civil Trial Manual 43 (1986)
  • Technique, Handicapped Clients Require New Strategies For Damages, 2 BNA Civil Trial Manual 308 (1986)
  • Analysis, Warning Issues Dominate Polio Vaccine Litigation, 2 BNA Civil Trial Manual 235 (1986)
  • Technique, The Shadow Game: X-rays In Court, 2 BNA Civil Trial Manual 545 (1986)
  • Technique, Practical and Ethical Dangers of Overpreparing Witnesses, 2 BNA Civil Trial Manual 476 (1986)
  • Technique, What’s A Chance Worth? Pleading and Calculating Damages For Increased Risk of Injury, 1 BNA Civil Trial Manual 286 (1985)
  • Technique, Spreadsheets Help Lawyers Figure Client’s Damages, 1 BNA Civil Trial Manual 363 (1985)
  • Technique, The Lawyer As Director: Arranging Trial By Video, 1 BNA Civil Trial Manual 553 (1985)
  • Technique, Sometimes There’s Nothing To Plead But Fear Itself, 1 BNA Civil Trial Manual 317 (1985)
  • Technique, Summary Jury Trial Offers Alternate Settlement Tool, 1 BNA Civil Trial Manual 461 (1985)
Presentations
  • Presenter, “Protecting The Record,” Clark Hill Seminar, September 5, 2019
  • Presenter, “2018 California Employment Law Update,” Clark Hill Seminar, January 16, 2018
  • Presenter, “California Employment Law: Updates & Changes for 2017,” MPP Seminar, February 7, 2017
  • Presenter, “California Employment Law: Updates & Changes for 2016,” MPP Seminar, January 26, 2016
  • Understanding The Economic Loss Doctrine: Las Vegas And Beyond (2010 webinar for American Counsel of Engineering Companies)
  • Economic Loss Doctrine: Peculiar Name, Critical Loss Prevention Tool (2007 and 2008 seminar for American Council of Engineering Companies)
  • Government Appeals (moderator for 2007 appellate MCLE program)
  • Meet The New Justices (moderator for 2006 and 2007 appellate MCLE program)
  • Meet The New Justices (moderator for 2006 and 2007 appellate MCLE program)
  • Military Appeals (moderator for 2006 appellate MCLE program)
  • Judicial Attorney Roundtable (moderator for 2006 appellate MCLE program)
  • Court of Appeal Walk-Through (moderator and participant in 2003 and 2004 appellate MCLE program)
  • May It Please The Appellate Court: Tips, Hints and Traps To Avoid (2002 seminar for in-house counsel)
News
  • Quoted in “Justices embrace the impulse to instruct”, by John Roemer, Daily Journal, August 31, 2015
  • “Landmark California Appellate Court Ruling Closes Potential Howell Loophole re 998 Offers”, Email Alert, May 19, 2015
  • “‘Tis the Season to Be (Potentially) Liable,” Email Alert, December 2, 2014
  • Appellate Decision-Making & Today’s Topics: Putting the Pieces Together (This 2012 conference for educational institutions was covered by the San Francisco Chronicle on April 26, 2012 and by the Daily Journal on April 27, 2012)

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