Top 100 Lawyers

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Richard B. Andrade

Title: President and Founder
Industry: Law
Type of Organization: Law Firm
Major Product/Service: Legal services
Expertise: Mr. Andrade’s practice focuses primarily on construction litigation (public and private), including "changed conditions", change order and differing site condition claims, scope of work claims, mechanic’s lien and stop notice litigation, labor law, including wage and hour claims, trust fund litigation and general business litigation. He counsels and represents primarily general contractors as well a handful of project owners, subcontractors and material suppliers. Mr. Andrade has specialized in the construction industry for nearly 36 years and has extensive experience in all aspects of the California Judicial System including the Federal system, the National Labor Relations Board and the California Agricultural Labor Board. He has held a California State General Engineering Contractors license since 1996, and was actively involved in the construction industry as an owner of a company that performed heavy civil engineering projects for over 10 years.
Geographic Area of Distribution: California
Affiliations: Associated General Contractors Statewide Legal Advisory Committee; Southern California Constructors Legal Advisory Committee; State Bar of California; American Trial Lawyers Association; American Bar Association; Orange County Bar Association; Engineering Contractors Association
University/Degree: A.A., Business, Southwestern Community College; B.S., Business/Information Systems Management, San Diego State University, 1973; J.D., Cum Laude, California Western School of Law, 1977
Born: May 8, 1951, San Diego, California
Hobbies/Sports: Skiing, tennis
Spouse: Kate L. Andrade
Married: May 19, 1979
Children: Nicole, Taylor
Work History: Prior to starting his own practice, Mr. Andrade worked as an associate at a Newport Beach based firm, Dressler, Stoll & Jacobs and subsequently as a Senior Associate at the Beverley Hills firm of Cruickshank, Anton and Grebow.
Honors & Awards: Voted Southern California Top Lawyers, 2014; Voted Top Rated Lawyers in Labor & Employment law, 2014; Voted Top Rated Lawyers in Commercial Litigation, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014; "AV" rated, Martindale-Hubbell (for over 30 years); Voted 2009 South Bay’s Favorite Attorneys as determined by the readers; Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Attorneys, 1996; Who’s Who in California, 1997
Career Accomplishments: Mr. Andrade successfully challenged an administrative law judge’s competency due to irrational ruling during trial where he awarded $20,000,000 of punitive damages against Mr. Andrade’s clients. On appeal, the appellate court determined that the administrative law judge’s over all biased in favor of the claimant, as well as his irrational rulings including the $20,000,000 award amply demonstrated his lack of competency, ordered the underlying trial award vacated and ordered a new trial for the defendants. He successfully defended a construction industry general contractor against a claim exceeding $1,000,000.00 being made by the plaintiff multi-employer trust funds, on the basis that the contractor’s bargaining unit truly consisted of only one employee, and hence not subject to the terms and conditions of the multi-employer trust fund contracts. The award was upheld on appeal. Mr. Andrade successfully represented a general contractor in a $280,000,000.00 bid protest where the awarding agency deemed errors in the contractors bid as inconsequential, immaterial and allowed the agency to waive the irregularities. The apparent second low-bidder challenged the award. The appellate court agreed with the findings of the trial court and upheld the award of the $280,000,000 concrete to Mr. Andrade’s client.