Richard J. Tyler

Richard Tyler is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. He regularly serves as lead counsel in complex, high-stakes construction disputes. Rich joined Jones Walker in 1982 and is a former practice leader of the firm’s Construction Practice Group. Widely acknowledged as one of the nation’s top construction attorneys, over the past decade Rich has served as lead counsel in disputes involving more than $500 million in aggregate claim value across the country. He has received top ratings in Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America®, The Legal 500 United States, the International Who’s Who of Construction Lawyers, and other major industry publications. Rich is a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers — an exclusive, invitation-only organization with just 230 members worldwide. Over the course of his career, Rich has handled complex litigation and arbitration matters in the fields of construction and real estate, and has represented virtually every kind of participant — from owners to suppliers — on a wide array of projects and delivery systems. His project experience includes airports, chemical plants, industrial facilities, pipelines, refineries, multifamily housing, hotels, schools, libraries, and hospitals. Further, Rich has wide experience drafting and negotiating construction and design contracts for commercial, industrial, and petrochemical projects. Drawing on his extensive experience, Rich is able to help clients quickly analyze the merits of an issue, explore the costs and benefits of various dispute-resolution strategies, and make informed decisions on how to proceed. He also understands the challenges facing clients who may not have in-house legal or litigation departments; in straightforward terms, he helps business leaders understand the legal and business issues at hand and their potential effects on a company’s operations and objectives. Once a strategy has been established, he is a tireless advocate for his clients’ position, drawing on his knowledge, experience, and advocacy skills to achieve effective resolutions to even the most challenging disputes. Rich has been an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association (AAA) since 2004 and is a member of its Commercial, Construction, and International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), and Large Complex Case panels. He is a member of the AAA-ICDR Council and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb). Rich is experienced with both ad hoc and administered arbitrations under the AAA, ICC, ICDR, and UNCITRAL arbitration rules, and has served as an arbitrator in more than 50 cases. He has received ADR training from the AAA (commercial, construction, and international), the CIArb (international commercial arbitration), the Harvard Law School Mediation Program, and the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation (Administration & Practice Workshop, Advanced/Chairing Workshop). As a participant in various associations serving the construction industry, Rich has served as a member of the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law’s Governing Committee and as chair of the Division 3 (Design) Steering Committee. He frequently writes and speaks on a variety of topics and has participated in seminars and programs for numerous professional organizations. Rich is an active member of the Fore!Kids Foundation, a charity that produces the annual PGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. In 2019, the Foundation raised and distributed more than $2 million to children’s charities in the Greater New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas, positively impacting the lives of 200,000 children in southeast Louisiana.