Mr. Rice joined the Firm in 1981 after clerking for the late U.S. District Judge Albert C. Wollenberg.  He is senior counsel in the Firm’s Litigation Department and the General Counsel of the Firm. He specializes in securities and business cases as well as other complex litigation for companies, governmental agencies and individuals.  Mr. Rice has successfully litigated a wide range of cases in arbitration and state and federal trial and appellate courts.  He also advises clients on how to avoid or minimize litigation.  He prides himself on developing tailor-made approaches to legal conflicts and problems that yield cost-effective and satisfying results for his clients.

Mr. Rice has successfully represented many different kinds of defendants, including

  • investment managers, corporations and corporate officers and directors sued by disgruntled investors;
  • individuals and corporations investigated or sued by government agencies; and
  • individuals and corporations engaged in conflicts over corporate governance or the interpretation of leases and other contracts.

He also has successfully represented many different kinds of plaintiffs, including

  • family members who sued an Ivy League university for the misuse of donated funds;
  • family members who sued to retain control of a family-owned business; and
  • the California Attorney General and the California Department of Insurance in suits on behalf of the citizens of California.

In addition, he teaches a legal writing class to foreign LL.M. students at Berkeley Law School.

Mr. Rice has written articles on litigation for the San Francisco Recorder and other publications.  In addition, he has spoken on litigation and arbitration topics for groups of lawyers, arbitrators and expert witnesses.

Mr. Rice has been a member of the Board of Governors for the Northern California branch of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.