Richard D. "Rick" Meadow

Richard D. "Rick" Meadow

Phoenix, AZ recognized lawyers icon Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2014
The Meadow Law Firm LLC

1 Best Lawyers award

Awarded Practice Areas

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

Biography

Rick Meadow has nearly 30 years of seasoned experience in courtrooms across the U.S. Rick represents individuals who have been injured by dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, asbestos, medical malpractice, defective products, construction defects, lead poisoning, and motor vehicles, as well as the negligence of premises owners and municipalities. A veteran of more than 25 cases successfully tried to verdict, Rick provides a rare level of courtroom experience. He has helped win three different cases that ranked among the largest verdicts in the nation by The National Law Journal.

Mr. Meadow also has extensive experience in the representation of large national insurance companies as an insurance defense attorney. This experience provides a 360 degree perspective of the practice of tort law in the United States. He is the Chair of the Lanier Law Firm's Pharmaceutical Litigation Division and serves on the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee of several national litigations.

Since joining the Lanier Law Firm, Rick Meadow was part of the trial team that obtained plaintiffs' verdicts in the Vioxx litigation in excess of $300 million. As part of the trial team at his former firm, he obtained jury awards of over $53 million and $47 million for his clients. Both verdicts appeared in The National Law Journal's list of largest verdicts in 2002 and 2003, respectively. He has settled millions of dollars in claims and argued appeals before the New York and New Jersey Appellate Divisions.

In 2017, Rick Meadow was named to the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in the federal multidistrict litigation against Johnson & Johnson over ovarian cancer claims involving the company’s talcum powder products. Mr. Meadow joins three other attorneys appointed to the committee by U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson of the U.S. District Court of New Jersey. As a member of the committee, Mr. Meadow will continue to investigate and develop the claims while also overseeing the coordination, preparation, and presentation of the cases. The lawsuits allege that for decades Johnson & Johnson has sold and marketed talc-based hygiene products such as Johnson’s Baby Powder despite being aware of and concealing scientific evidence linking those products to ovarian cancer.

A graduate of California Western School of Law (J.D. 1984) and Rutgers University (B.A. 1979), Mr. Meadow is licensed to practice law in Texas, New York State, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, numerous Federal Courts and is admitted to the Bar of the United States Supreme Court. He has served as Co-Liasion Counsel for the New Jersey Coordinated Levaquin litigation before Judge Carol Higbee.

An active participant in Texas, New York and National Bar Associations, Mr. Meadow has served on the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Meadow has lectured at numerous legal conferences and has been appointed to many committees that explore issues germane to the medical and legal communities. Born in New York, he currently resides in Houston with his wife, Kirsten, and is the proud father of Ruby and Joshua. Texas and New York Super Lawyers has recognized Mr. Meadow as ranking among the top attorneys in both states, and he is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

The Meadow Law Firm LLC

1 Best Lawyers award

Overview

  • California Western School of Law, J.D., graduated 1984
  • Rutgers University–Newark, B.A., graduated 1979

  • Texas, State Bar of Texas
  • New York, State Bar Association
  • New Jersey, State Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania, Bar Association

  • American Association For Justice - Member
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum - Member
  • National Bar Association - Member
  • New York Bar Association - Member
  • New York State Trial Lawyers Association - Board of Directors

  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • Texas, State Bar of Texas
  • New York, State Bar Association
  • New Jersey, State Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania, Bar Association
  • American Association For Justice - Member
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum - Member
  • National Bar Association - Member
  • New York Bar Association - Member
  • New York State Trial Lawyers Association - Board of Directors
  • California Western School of Law, J.D., graduated 1984
  • Rutgers University–Newark, B.A., graduated 1979
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Client Testimonials

Awards & Focus

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2022 - Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs, Houston (2022)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • Patent Law
  • Trademark Law
Special Focus:
  • COVID-19
Awards:
  • Best Lawyers in America, 2014-2025
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, 2020-2024
  • Texas Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2009-2015, 2018-2024
  • Top 100, The National Trial Lawyers
  • New York Super Lawyers, 2009-2015, Thomson Reuters
  • AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Had three wins ranked among the largest verdicts in the nation, according to VerdictSearch and The National Law Journal
  • Recognized among the Leading Trial Lawyers in the U.S. by The Legal 500

Case History

Cases
  • Representative Cases
  • Meadow has successfully tried over 25 cases to verdict.
  • He was an integral part of the winning Lanier Law Firm team that obtained the record-setting plaintiffs’ verdicts in the Vioxx litigation.
  • While at his former firm, he helped win two significant jury awards recognized by The National Law Journal among the nation’s largest verdicts in 2002 and 2003.
  • He has settled claims for clients in the tens of millions.
  • Meadow has also argued appeals before the New York and New Jersey Appellate Divisions.
Rick has served or is currently serving in a leadership capacity in the following litigations:
  • In re: Levaquin Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 1943
  • In re: Chantix Prod. Liab Litig. – MDL 2092
  • In re: Yasmin and Yax (Drospirenone) Marketing Sales Practices Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 2100
  • In re: Zimmer Duron Hip Cup Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 2158
  • In re: DuPuy Orthopaedics, Inc. ASR Hip Implant Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 2197
  • In re: DuPuy Orthapaedics, Inc. Pinnacle Hip Implant Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 2244
  • In re: Zimmer Nexgen Knee Implant Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 2272
  • In re: American Medical Systems, Inc., Pelvic Repair System. Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 2325
  • In re: Boston Scientific Corp. Pelvic Repair Sys. Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 2326
  • In re: Propecia (Finasteride) Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 2331
  • In re: Mirena IUD Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 2434
  • In re: Bextra – MDL 1699
  • In re: Zyprexa Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 1596
  • In re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing Sales Practices and Prod. Liab. Litig. – MDL 2738

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