Biography

Richard Crites is a trial attorney with significant experience in multiple areas of civil litigation, with a focus on products liability and toxic tort practice.  Mr. Crites manages complex cases from inception through trial, including post-judgment and appellate practice.  He concentrates his practice on products liability, and has significant experience in myriad areas of the field, including pharmaceutical and dietary supplement cases, tire failure cases, fire subrogation, toxic tort and environmental contamination cases, work-place exposure claims, and other serious personal injury actions.

Memberships & Honors

In a crowning achievement, Mr. Crites was named as national coordinating counsel for a Tennessee-based manufacturer in nationwide subrogation litigation with exposure in excess of $100 million.  In that role, Mr. Crites was instrumental in securing a unanimous defense verdict for his client, which The Daily Journal recognized as one of California's "Top 10 Defense Verdicts of 2004." 
 
Mr. Crites is a member of the Orange County Bar Association and serves as Co-Chair of the Products Liability Section, a position he has held since his initial election in 2007.  In that role, he will continue to organize section meetings and moderate panel discussions on topics pertinent to the legal community.  Mr. Crites is also a member of the Defense Research Institute, participating in its products liability and toxic tort groups.

In addition, Mr. Crites was named “Who’s Who” by the Orange County Bar Association in the March 2010 edition of Orange County Lawyer Magazine.

Mr. Crites is admitted to practice in all California State Courts (1999), the Central District Court of California (2004), as well as the United States Eastern District Court of California (2004).

Publications

• “The Nationalization of Personal Jurisdiction?” Product Liability Law360 and International Trade Law360 (June 29, 2010).
• "The Nationalization of Personal Jurisdiction—Are Minimum Contacts Drowning in the Stream of Commerce?" Sedgwick’s Product Liability Advisory (June 8, 2010).
• “And the Defense Wins,” DRI’s The Voice (May 26, 2010).
• "The CPSIA and State Statutes Create a Web of Consumer Protection Laws," American Bar Association's Products Liability (Spring 2010).
• “Who's Who in the OCBA,” Orange County Lawyer Magazine (March, 2010).
• “Iqbal's Heightened Pleading Standard and Its Probable Effect on Product Liability Cases,” Sedgwick’s Product Liability Advisory (January 4, 2010).
• “The CPSC Utilizes Common Sense—But Does It Offer a Safe Harbor?,” Sedgwick’s CPSC Advisory (July 22, 2009).
• “CPSC: A Watchdog Finally Gets Its Teeth,” In-House Defense Quarterly (Winter 2009).
• “Who's Who in the OCBA,” Orange County Lawyer Magazine (March, 2009).
• Co-author, "The Times are Changing at the CPSC," Product Liability Law 360 (March 14, 2008).
• Co-author, "New Rules, Greater Protections - Regardless of How A Company’s CGMPs Are Implemented, Manufacturers Should Consider The Liability Risks," Nutritional Outlook, p. 24-27 (March, 2008).
• "Who's Who in the OCBA," Orange County Lawyer Magazine (March, 2008).
• "Who's Who in the OCBA," Orange County Lawyer Magazine (March, 2007).
• "Richard Crites Elected to Chair of OCBA Products Liability Section," Orange County Business Journal (January 29, 2007).
• "On the Move," The Recorder (January 8, 2007).
• "On the Move," The Daily Journal (December 27, 2006).
• "Top 10 Defense Verdicts of 2004,” The Daily Journal.

Presentations 

• “Annual Case Law Update,” DRI Product Liability Conference (April 2010).
• “Landmark Legislation Alert: The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008,” Orange County Bar Association Products Liability Section (September 19, 2008).
• “Born to Be Wild: Litigating a Design Defect Claim,” Orange County Bar Association Products Liability Section (June 20, 2008).
• “Mold 101:  Defending Mold Claims,” CNA Insurance Companies, Chicago, IL (July 19, 2005).

Other Information

Mr. Crites studied comparative law at King's College, London, England (1997) and enjoys traveling.