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Richard N. Asfar

Richard N. Asfar Photo
Richard N. Asfar Senior Partner, Practice Director - Appeals
  • Bio
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Memberships
  • Notable Work

Ric Asfar joined Almazan Law as a Partner in 2022, and leads the firm’s Tampa office and appellate practice. Ric is an AV-rated civil litigator and appellate advocate who has represented businesses, individuals, interest groups, and government entities in a wide range of significant matters in both federal court and state court, including matters involving insurance coverage, personal injury, wrongful death, business disputes, construction defects and liens, commercial and contested residential foreclosures, and employment disputes.

As an admitted “law geek” who reads thousands of appellate court opinions annually, Ric uses his in-depth knowledge of the finer points of law to successfully advance his clients’ objectives. He is often sought out by other experienced attorneys to address thorny legal issues that can derail a deserving client’s case, and has been hired by trade or other interest groups to submit amicus briefs in cases of great significance to their membership.

Ric has spent months of his life in high-exposure civil jury trials which have resulted in tens of millions of dollars in verdicts for his clients (all of which have been affirmed in their entirety on appeal). He has also handled numerous oral arguments before Florida appellate courts, resulting in many favorable outcomes for his clients.

Ric has volunteered for a number of worthy causes, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and the Glazer Children’s Museum. He has also served on both the City of Tampa’s Citizens Budget and Finance Committee, and the Pacific McGeorge Alumni Board of Directors.

Ric grew up in Queens, New York. After immigrating to America, Ric’s parents worked long hours operating a tailoring business one subway stop from Shea Stadium. They taught Ric the value of hard work, and to go the extra mile. Ric has strived to follow his parents’ example since youth, and began working at age 13 (delivering newspapers).

Ric and his lovely wife (a highly-regarded tax and estate planning attorney) are blessed with wonderful twin sons. In his spare time, Ric enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, cheering for several hapless New York sports teams, and reading recent published opinions.

Admissions

  • Florida Bar
  • California Bar
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits

Awards

  • AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell (2016 to present)
  • Super Lawyer, Florida Super Lawyers (2021, 2022, 2023)
  • Legal Elite, Florida Trend Magazine (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
  • Top Lawyers, Tampa Magazine (recognized in 2021, 2022, and 2023; recognized for appellate practice and commercial litigation)
  • The Best Lawyers in America® (2024)
  • Rising Star, Florida Super Lawyers (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019)

Memberships

  • Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section
  • City of Tampa Citizens Budget Advisory Committee, 2014 – 2016
  • Hillsborough County Bar Association
  • The Tampa Connection, Class of 2013
  • Pacific McGeorge School of Law Alumni Board, 2006 – 2014
  • American Inns of Court, current member of the J. Clifford Cheatwood Inn, and past member of the Tampa Bay Inn, the Consuelo M. Callahan Inn, and the Anthony M. Kennedy Inn
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, Inc., former Big Brother
  • American Bar Association

Ric received his Juris Doctor, with distinction, from The University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in 2006. While enrolled at Pacific McGeorge, Ric served as President of the Student Bar Association, Assistant Comment Editor for the Pacific McGeorge Global Business & Development Law Journal, Vice President of the Middle Eastern South Asian Association, and Captain of the McGeorge Runners’ Club. Ric was also selected for inclusion on the Dean’s List on a number of occasions.


Ric received his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from the City University of New York—Baruch College in 2002. Ric financed his college education through full-time employment and was a DJ at his college radio station. While at CUNY Baruch, Ric was inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society, and selected for inclusion on the Dean’s List on a number of occasions.

Ric joined Almazan Law after three years as a partner at an international law firm serving the construction industry, where he enjoyed a national practice focused primarily on high-exposure insurance coverage, construction defects and liens, commercial, employment, and products matters. Before that, Ric spent approximately four years at a boutique firm representing plaintiffs in high-exposure civil litigation and appellate matters involving insurance coverage and bad faith, catastrophic personal injury or wrongful death, and products liability claims. Ric also has significant experience with creditors’ rights matters, having represented asset owners in commercial foreclosures, contested residential foreclosures, and bankruptcy cases; the FDIC as Receiver in federal court litigation involving business torts and alleged breaches of contract, and pre-suit investigations into alleged errors or omissions by the directors and officers of failed banks; and a liquidating agent in a number of complex adversary proceedings. Ric began his career at a boutique central-California law firm, where his practice was focused on high-stakes commercial litigation, land use, and environmental litigation and appeals.


Ric obtained valuable legal experience while still in law school. As a student at Pacific McGeorge, Ric served as a full-time judicial extern to The Honorable Consuelo M. Callahan of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, law clerk at a mid-sized insurance defense firm, summer associate at a boutique San Francisco entertainment law firm, law clerk at the tort section of the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, and legal intern at a digital music distribution company.
 

Ric received his Juris Doctor, with distinction, from The University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in 2006. While enrolled at Pacific McGeorge, Ric served as President of the Student Bar Association, Assistant Comment Editor for the Pacific McGeorge Global Business & Development Law Journal, Vice President of the Middle Eastern South Asian Association, and Captain of the McGeorge Runners’ Club. Ric was also selected for inclusion on the Dean’s List on a number of occasions.


Ric received his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from the City University of New York—Baruch College in 2002. Ric financed his college education through full-time employment and was a DJ at his college radio station. While at CUNY Baruch, Ric was inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society, and selected for inclusion on the Dean’s List on a number of occasions.

  • Served as law and motion counsel in several lengthy catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death trials resulting in tens of millions of dollars in jury verdicts for clients (all affirmed in their entirety on appeal)
  • Briefed and argued a number of appeals resulting in favorable opinions or affirmances for a variety of clients
  • Favorably resolved a number of insurance coverage declaratory relief actions for a variety of business clients
  • Favorably resolved a number of construction defect claims alleged against contractor clients
  • Favorably resolved a number of personal injury claims (including catastrophic injury claims) alleged against a variety of business clients
  • Favorably resolved a number of contested residential mortgage foreclosure actions, commercial foreclosure actions, and Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases for creditor clients
  • Favorably resolved pre-suit a number of employment law mass claims for employer clients
  • Successfully defended the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as Receiver in a number of actions alleging various commercial claims
  • Represented storm restoration contractor in related lawsuits resulting in favorable seven-figure recovery
  • Procured pre-suit seven-figure recovery for commercial property owner in construction defect matter
  • Resolved pre-suit high eight-figure property damage claim against contractor client without any client contribution to settlement
  • Favorably resolved multi-million dollar lawsuit alleging defamation and tortious interference against performing arts venue client
  • Favorably resolved six-figure slayer statute lawsuit against electronic stock trading platform client
  • Favorably resolved multi-million dollar lawsuit alleging various contract and business torts against defense contractor client
  • Successfully opposed petition for review to the California Supreme Court

Achievements

Ric has obtained a number of favorable published opinions for his clients, including Kloppe v. Off Lease Only, Inc., 349 So. 3d 907 (Fla. 4th DCA 2022); Money v. Home Performance Alliance, Inc., 313 So. 3d 783 (Fla. 2d DCA 2021); Cavey v. Wells, 313 So. 3d 188 (Fla. 2d DCA 2021); Williams v. CVT, LLC, 295 So. 3d 883 (Fla. 2d DCA 2020); and Allen v. State Farm Florida Insurance Company, 209 So. 3d 11 (Fla. 2d DCA 2016). Ric also served as local appellate counsel for amicus curiae AARP in support of the successful appellants’ position in Charles v. Southern Baptist Hospital of Florida, Inc., 209 So. 3d 1199 (Fla. 2017).

Ric has received over a dozen awards and recognitions during his career. He has been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell, Best Lawyers in America®, Florida Super Lawyers, and others.


When graduating from law school, Ric was awarded the Outstanding Student Achievement Award for his graduating class, and inducted into the Roger J. Traynor Honor Society.