Richard P. Cassetta
Richard P. Cassetta
Richard P. Cassetta
Biography
Rick Cassetta leads the Consumer Products Mass Tort Team. His practice focuses on complex litigation, including defense of corporate clients in individual product liability lawsuits, commercial contract disputes, class action lawsuits, multi-district litigation proceedings, and lawsuits brought by governmental entities. Rick tries cases in state and federal court, argues appeals before state and federal appellate courts, and represents clients in arbitration. He is recognized by Best Lawyers in America for his Product Liability work and has received a Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating of AV® Preeminent™, the highest possible rating for legal abilities and ethical standards based upon confidential assessments by members of the bar and judiciary, for the past ten years. He has also been recognized by America's Most Honored Lawyers (top 1% of all attorneys in the U.S. as recognized by award organizations), and in St. Louis Magazine as a St. Louis Top Lawyer.
Rick's practice is a national practice. He represents Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller companies in cases throughout the country. He is licensed to practice law in Missouri, Illinois, and the District of Columbia, and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States and fourteen other federal courts across the country.
Rick has represented automobile manufacturers, auto lenders, pharmaceutical companies, child product manufacturers, tire manufacturers, industrial manufacturers, chemical companies, companies that rent cars and trucks, retailers, internet lenders, and online dating services. He defends clients in cases involving strict product liability and negligence claims, breach of contract claims, common law and consumer fraud claims, breach of warranty claims, data breach claims, fair debt collection act claims, civil RICO claims, and environmental contamination claims, including claims related to PFAS contamination.
Rick has extensive experience representing companies in catastrophic injury cases arising from motor vehicle crashes, incidents involving consumer products, fires, and industrial accidents.
Many of the cases in which Rick represents clients involve complex engineering, scientific, and medical issues. He has extensive experience working with experts in these fields to defend his clients.
Rick is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and served as an officer in the Navy before beginning his legal career. He was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal during his service.
Areas of Focus
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Consumer Products
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Catastrophic Accidents
Civic Involvement & Honors
- The Best Lawyers in America©, Product Liability Litigation, 2022-2025
- St. Louis Magazine, St. Louis Top Lawyers, 2023
- AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 based upon confidential opinions by members of the bar and judiciary
- America's Most Honored Lawyers, The American Registry
- Who's Who in America, 2021
Professional Affiliations
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American Bar Association
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Defense Research Institute
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- Federalist Society
Admissions
District of Columbia
Illinois
Missouri
Supreme Court of the United States
United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and District of Columbia Circuits
United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, District of Columbia, Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois, and Eastern District of Texas
Education
Washington University, J.D., Order of the Barristers
University of Oklahoma, M.A.
United States Naval Academy, B.S., with merit
Related Practice Areas
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Class Actions & Mass Torts
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Financial Services
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Litigation & Dispute Resolution
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Financial Institutions
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Employment Class & Collective Actions
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Sports (Class Actions)
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Data Privacy, Telecommunications & Collections
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Toxic Tort
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Finance
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Aviation, Aerospace & Defense
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Regulation, Compliance & Advisory
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Catastrophic Accidents
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Consumer Fraud
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Food, Ag & Nutrition
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Insurance (Class Actions)
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Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices (Class Actions)
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Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices (Mass Torts)
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Class Actions
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Mass Torts & Product Liability
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Antitrust Class Actions
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Shareholder Securities and Mergers & Acquisitions
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Food, Ag & Nutrition (Class Actions)
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Consumer Products
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Healthcare & Life Sciences
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Appellate
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Business & Commercial Disputes
Experience
Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices
- Successfully represented a pharmaceutical company in a wrongful death lawsuit involving an over-the-counter medication in which the jury returned a defense verdict.
- Represented a pharmaceutical company in an MDL involving plaintiffs who used the company’s prescription birth control product.
Child Products
- Successfully represented a child seat manufacturer in a wrongful death lawsuit in which the jury returned a defense verdict.
- Successfully represented baby product’s company in lawsuit involving child restraint.
Automotive
- Successfully represented an auto lender in a consumer fraud lawsuit in which the court granted summary judgment in favor of the auto lender.
- Represented an automobile manufacturer in a consumer class action lawsuit involving allegations related to engine performance in its pick-up trucks.
Electronics and Manufacturing
- Successfully represented an electronics manufacturer in a commercial contract dispute in which the court granted partial summary judgment in favor of the electronics manufacturer.
- Represented an online dating service in a nationwide class action MDL and served as Defendants’ Liaison Counsel.
- Represented an internet lender in a statewide consumer class action lawsuit involving allegations of consumer fraud.
- Represented a manufacturer in a civil RICO lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Resources
Speaking Engagements
DRI Product Liability Conference, Warnings Issues Related to Product Liability Litigation, February 2022
2017 Drug and Defense Forum, The Impact of the Supreme Court’s Decision in Bristol-Myers Squibb v. Superior Court of California
Mass Tort Litigation in the United States, Seminar, Tokyo, Japan, September 5, 2024
Related Insights
Aug 26, 2024
Aug 17, 2023
Jun 08, 2023
Aug 18, 2022
Jan 31, 2022
Jan 21, 2022
Aug 19, 2021
Apr 22, 2020