Richard N. Asfar

Richard N. Asfar Senior Partner, Practice Director - Appeals

Bio
Employment
Education
Memberships
Notable Work

Richard N. Asfar

Senior Partner, Practice Director - Appeals

Ric Asfar joined Almazan Law as a Partner in 2022, and leads the firm’s Tampa office and its 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 high-stakes matters in both federal court and state court, including matters involving insurance coverage, personal injury, wrongful death, business disputes, construction defects and lien claims, 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 children, exercising, cheering for several hapless New York sports teams, and reading recent published opinions.

Admissions

Florida Bar
California Bar (inactive)
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 (since 2016)
The Best Lawyers in America® (2024, 2025)
Super Lawyer, Florida Super Lawyers (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Legal Elite, Florida Trend Magazine (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Top Lawyers, Tampa Magazine (recognized in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024; recognized for appellate practice and commercial litigation)
Rising Star, Florida Super Lawyers (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019)
Outstanding Student Achievement Award, Pacific McGeorge School of Law (Day Class of 2006)
Member, Roger J. Traynor Honor Society

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

Employment

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 matters involving high-value insurance coverage, construction defects, construction lien claims, commercial disputes, employment matters, and products liability. Before that, Ric spent approximately four years at a boutique firm representing plaintiffs in high-value civil litigation and appellate matters involving insurance coverage and bad faith, catastrophic personal injury or wrongful death, medical malpractice, 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 alleged business torts and 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.

Education

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.

Memberships

Admissions

Florida Bar
California Bar (inactive)
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 (since 2016)
The Best Lawyers in America® (2024, 2025)
Super Lawyer, Florida Super Lawyers (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Legal Elite, Florida Trend Magazine (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Top Lawyers, Tampa Magazine (recognized in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024; recognized for appellate practice and commercial litigation)
Rising Star, Florida Super Lawyers (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019)
Outstanding Student Achievement Award, Pacific McGeorge School of Law (Day Class of 2006)
Member, Roger J. Traynor Honor Society

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

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 construction defect claims alleged against contractor clients
Favorably resolved a number of insurance coverage declaratory relief actions for a variety of business clients
Favorably resolved a number of construction lien claims for property owner clients
Submitted appellate amicus briefs in support of prevailing parties for various public interest groups
Procured a number of favorable orders causing trial courts to recede from significant adverse rulings for trial attorneys via motions for rehearing or reconsideration
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
Obtained favorable declaratory relief judgment declaring municipal ordinances void and stricken on constitutional and preemption grounds
Represented storm restoration contractor in related lawsuits resulting in favorable seven-figure recovery
Procured favorable seven-figure recovery pre-suit for commercial property owner in construction defect matter
Resolved high eight-figure property damage claim pre-suit against contractor client without any client contribution to settlement
Favorably resolved several interrelated lawsuits seeking millions in damages involving defamation claims, employment claims, fraud claims, and conversion claims for contractor client
Favorably resolved multi-million dollar lawsuit alleging defamation and tortious interference claims 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 tort claims against defense contractor client
Successfully opposed petition for review to the California Supreme Court

Achievements

Florida Gulf Coast Chapter Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. v. City of St. Petersburg, 374 So. 3d 946 (Fla. 2d DCA 2023)
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)
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Nally, 253 So. 3d 576 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018) (table)
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. McCabe, 245 So. 3d 684 (Fla. 2d DCA 2018) (table)
Olympus Ins. Co. v. Basagic, 241 So. 3d 803 (Fla. 2d DCA 2017) (table)
Citizens Property Ins. Co. v. Albrecht, 240 So. 3d 662 (Fla. 2d DCA 2017) (table)
Charles v. Southern Baptist Hosp., 209 So. 3d 1199 (Fla. 2016) (appearing for amicus curiae AARP)
Allen v. State Farm Florida Insurance Company, 209 So. 3d 11 (Fla. 2d DCA 2016)
Shindorf v. Bell, 207 So. 3d 371 (Fla. 2d DCA 2016)
Burford v. Matheny, 185 So. 3d 1240 (Fla. 2d DCA 2016) (table)
Allen v. State Farm, 198 So. 3d 871 (Fla. 2d DCA 2016)
Eatman v. Fed. Deposit Ins. Corp., 2011 WL 2436290 (M.D. Fla. May 20, 2011), adopted by 2011 WL 2413469 (M.D. Fla. Jun. 14, 2011)
Waters v. Amtrust Bank, 64 So. 3d 1267 (Fla. 1st DCA 2011) (table)
Professional Title LLC v. Fed. Deposit Ins. Corp., 2011 WL 855338 (N.D. Fla. Mar. 9, 2011)
Lima v. CitiMortgage, Inc., 61 So. 3d 1133 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011) (table)
Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors of Orion Bancorp v. Assignee Polsky (Fed. Deposit Ins. Corp.), 2011 WL 855338 (M.D. Fla. Sept. 17, 2010)