William Ricci is a shareholder in the Industrial and Consumer Product Liability Practice Group in the Philadelphia office of Lavin O’Neil Ricci Cedrone & DiSipio. He is national, regional, lead trial and appellate counsel for major automotive, motorcycle, industrial, construction, aircraft, printing press, recreational and consumer product manufacturers in product liability, intellectual property and commercial cases.

In 30 years of practice as a trial attorney, Mr. Ricci has defended many cases, both trials and appeals, before juries in state and federal courts throughout the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has tried more than 100 product liability cases to verdict in 17 jurisdictions nationwide.

Examples of Mr. Ricci’s trial experience include:

· In Gonzalez v. Komatsu (New Jersey 2005), successfully argued, to the New Jersey Supreme Court and in Pennsylvania, that lift truck manufacturers may not be sued based on their decision not to provide standard automatic signaling devices on ANSI B56.1 type lift trucks, on the basis of principles of federal preemption

Mr. Ricci handled product liability trials and appeals for clients in the following industries:

· Industrial Equipment

Defending most of the world’s lift-truck manufacturers involving claims of stability, operator restraint systems, visibility, standard versus optional equipment, warnings and instructions. Mr. Ricci has served as national coordinating counsel for a number of lift-truck manufacturers for litigation and non-litigation matters involving their products.

· Automotive

Representing many of the world’s largest car manufacturers involving claims of crash-worthiness, restraint and seat design, acceleration, brake and transmission system design.

· Aviation

Defending and acting as co-lead counsel in matters involving the general aviation industry, commercial aircraft and helicopters.

· Building Supplies

Serving as local and regional lead trial counsel for the foremost national manufacturer of residential and commercial roofing, waterproofing and coating products.

· Construction Equipment, Cranes and Aerial Platforms

Serving as local and regional trial counsel in various allegations of design defects and related warnings and instructions.

· Wire Rope and Cable

Handling matters as local lead trial counsel for several foreign wire rope and cable manufacturers.

· Motorcycle

Representing the only major US-based motorcycle manufacturer in matters involving stability, handling and crash-worthiness.

· Outdoor Leisure Products

Serving as local and regional trial counsel for manufacturers of watercraft, bicycles, ATVs, turkey fryers and other miscellaneous consumer goods.

· Commercial Fitness and Exercise Equipment

Serving and local and regional trial counsel for manufacturers of treadmills, weights, cycles and various other kinds of fitness equipment.

Additionally, Mr. Ricci has been an adjunct professor in the Temple University School of Law Masters in Trial Advocacy Program. He lectures frequently on product liability law, trial tactics and litigation management in various Pennsylvania CLE programs and seminars. In 2008, he published articles in the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel Treatise regarding electronic discovery and, in 2009, The Trial Masters Manual, respectively. He speaks regularly on defense strategy in complex civil cases. Mr. Ricci was the recipient of the 2005 GEM Award, an honor bestowed by the Saint Joseph’s University Law Alumni Chapter upon an alumnus who epitomizes Jesuit values of excellence and compassion.

Mr. Ricci graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in history from St. Joseph’s College in Philadelphia. He earned his Juris Doctor from the Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia, PA, where he served as Research Editor of the Temple Law Review. Following graduation, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Robert Lee Jacobs, President Judge, Superior Court of Pennsylvania. Mr. Ricci has been designated a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for each of the years 2003-2010; ranked in top 100 lawyers in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, 2009 and 2010..

Mr. Ricci is admitted to multiple courts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York: the Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York; the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania; the District Courts of New Jersey and the Southern District of New York.

Mr. Ricci is an active member of many bar and client-related industry associations: the American, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York State and Philadelphia Bar Associations; Federation of Defense and Corporate Council; American Board of Trial Advocates: member and faculty, Masters in Trial course; Faculty, PDI, PADC, DRI seminars; Fellow of the Academy of Advocacy; Pennsylvania Defense Institute; Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel; Lawyers Committee of the Industrial Truck Association; Product Liability Advisory Council; Defense Research Institute: member of the Board of Directors and co-chair of the Products Liability Committee.

Publications

· “Presenting Juries With a Life-Time of Reality in a Two Week Trial: Reflections on Defending Industrial Equipment Manufacturers in Design Defect Cases” (FDCC Trial Masters Manual, April, 2009)

· FDCC E-Discovery Textbook Manual, Chapter 3 (2007)

· “Recent Trends in Product Liability Cases in Pennsylvania: A Defense Perspective 2008” (DRI Annual Personal Injury Potpourri)

· Additionally, Mr. Ricci wrote the amicus curiae brief on behalf of the Product Liability Advisory Council for the successor appeal to the Superior Court in Arnoldy v. Forklift L.P., Pennsylvania Superior Court 2007

Personal

In his spare time, Mr. Ricci is a guitarist in the band, The O’Fenders, and has entertained U.S. troops in Diego Garcia.