Richard graduated from Louisiana State University Law School in 1969. He joined the firm immediately thereafter, and was made a partner in 1972. Richard was engaged in active practice with the firm for over forty-five years before retiring, during which he successfully tried hundreds of cases, with an emphasis on personal injury, property damages, mineral rights, products liability, and offshore litigation. He also worked extensively on oil and gas matters, and his experience in rendering title opinions for prospective drilling sites and for division orders for oil and gas wells led him to author the Primer for Examination of Land Titles that is used by younger lawyers in the firm undertaking real estate work to this day. He served the legal profession in numerous capacities as an officer and on committees of the Louisiana State Bar Association. He was Chairman of the Young Lawyers Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association, and served as President of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association. He also served on the Board of Governors of the Louisiana State Bar Association. In 1982, he became the second lawyer in the firm to be named the Outstanding Young Lawyer in Louisiana by the Louisiana State Bar Association. In addition to his activities in the state bar association, Richard was also active in numerous professional groups such as the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, International Association of Defense Counsel, Maritime Law Association of the United States, Louisiana Trial Lawyers’ Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. He served as Chairman of a hearing committee for the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board from 2004 through 2009. Richard has also been active in civic affairs, serving as President of the Calcasieu Kiwanis Club, and as chairman of the Southwest Louisiana State University Alumni Federation. He is a member of the LSU Foundation, and a past member of the Young Men’s Business Club of Lake Charles. Representative examples of his reported cases include: Long v. Diamond M Drilling Co., Inc., 674 F.2d 425 (5th Cir. 1982); Leger v. Drilling Well Control, Inc., 592 F.2d 1246 (5th Cir. 1979); Bourgeois v. Landry, 583 So. 2d 36 (La. App. 3d Cir.), writ den., 587 So. 2d 697 (La. 1991); Guidry v. Administrator, Office of Employment Security, 520 So. 2d 823 (La. App. 3d Cir. 1987); Hermann v. Louisiana Health Service & Indemn. Co., 492 So. 2d 250 (La. App. 3d Cir. 1986); Franklin v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., 488 So. 2d 773 (La. App. 3d Cir. 1986); Morris v. Schlumberger, Ltd., 445 So. 2d 1242 (La. App. 3d Cir. 1984); Tolmak, Inc. v. Servitron, Inc., 435 So. 2d 1164 (La. App. 3d Cir. 1983); Deculus v. Augenstein Construction Co., Inc., 425 So. 2d 315 (La. App. 3d Cir. 1982); Garrett v. Walker, 407 So. 2d 1309 (La. App. 3d Cir. 1981); Bernard v. Kansas City Southern Railway Company, 401 So. 2d 567 (La. App. 3d Cir. 1981); Green v. TACA International Airlines, 304 So. 2d 357 (La. 1974); Western Surety Company v. Avoyelles Farmers Co-operative, 277 So. 2d 627 (La. 1972).