Richard McConnell

Rich McConnell is a proven litigator, trial counsel, and appellate advisor for companies faced with high-stakes state and federal court lawsuits. He designs custom advocacy strategies and trial and appellate tactics that combine years of legal acumen, procedural skills, and the goals of each client he serves. Throughout the region, he is appreciated for superior representation and highly persuasive oral and written advocacy.

Rich recently served as lead counsel for a leading energy infrastructure company in defeating class certification in a high-stakes litigation matter in which landowners sought to compel our client to maintain pipeline canals and restore erosion under Louisiana law. The plaintiff sought to represent a class comprising every property owner along three pipelines spanning more than 280 miles claiming breach of over 100 separate right-of-way agreements. After the case was removed to federal court, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana denied the plaintiff’s motion for class certification outright. Adopting our client’s interpretation of Louisiana law, the district court agreed that material differences in contractual language defeated commonality and precluded class certification, noting that most of the right-of-way agreements do not require any duty to maintain canals or prevent erosion. Bradish Johnson Co. v. Tenn. Gas Pipeline Co., No. 23-7363, 2026 WL 1893012 (E.D. La. July 1, 2026).

Rich’s trial experience ranges from wrongful death to contract disputes to unfair trade practice to property contamination. Notably, Rich has obtained a successful verdict as trial counsel for national pipeline companies in a wetlands loss lawsuit involving canals that widened over time. Rich has also been retained on class action and mass tort lawsuits. He also served as lead counsel in obtaining the ruling that secured a $900 million dollar transaction. Rich routinely serves as appellate counsel for clients. His appellate experience includes overturning multi-million dollar jury verdicts and securing defense verdicts.

Rich delivers effective and efficient litigation counsel that addresses his client’s current legal concerns and safeguards their future interests. He represents clients in all stages of dispute resolution and helps them make informed decisions throughout the matter. He invests the time to understand each client’s objectives for the dispute at hand and the unique set of circumstances and underlying pressure points inherent in the claim. Rich anticipates legal issues early on to best position his client for trial, appeal, and/or favorable settlement.

On many occasions, Rich has achieved significant success resolving such matters in the discovery stage while aggressively defending his clients throughout the process. If a dispute cannot be resolved, Rich has and will take the claim to trial and on appeal if it is in the best interest of his client.