Richard Somes
Richard Somes is a Managing Partner at Tyson & Mendes’ Orange County office. His practice focuses on general liability, premises liability, products liability, personal injury, surety law, construction, medical malpractice, toxic and mass torts, and employment law.
Mr. Somes has extensive litigation experience, including representing individuals and businesses in state courts throughout California and in federal courts. He has been extremely successful in defending cases for his clients while saving them millions of dollars throughout his career. He is also proficient at stepping into large cases throughout the litigation process and providing extensive evaluations and readying the cases for a successful outcome at trial. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Somes worked for the Marriott Corporation in their loss prevention department.
Mr. Somes graduated from Western State University, College of Law. While he was in law school, he received the Honorary Distinguished Student Award. He was also the Vice President of the Student Bar Association. In addition, Mr. Somes was an extern for the Honorable Robert W. Alberts in the United States Bankruptcy Court. Mr. Somes was also in charge of the adopt-a-school program while in law school. He holds a B.A. from the University of California at Irvine where he played NCAA water polo. He is also admitted to the United States District Courts in the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California. Mr. Somes is a member of the National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association, the Orange County Bar, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, and the Mater Dei Alumni Association.
Outside the office, Mr. Somes enjoys spending time with his family, following USC football, working out, and spending time at the beach.
- The Nation’s Leading Defense Attorneys Complete Third Annual Nuclear Verdicts Defense Institute: Tyson & Mendes Provides Defense Bar and Carriers with Cutting-Edge Methods for Driving Down Damages July 22, 2024
- San Diego County Court Rules in Favor of Defense in Trip and Fall Case: Tyson & Mendes Wins Motion for Summary Judgment November 16, 2023
- Orange County Court Grants Motion for Summary Judgment in Favor of Defense in Wrongful Death Case: Tyson & Mendes Wins Motion for Summary Judgement in Case Resulting from Accident at John Wayne Airport February 14, 2023
- $10 Million Premises Liability Case Dismissed by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge November 14, 2022
- Los Angeles Court Rules in Favor of Defense in $10 Million Premises Liability Case: Tyson & Mendes Wins Motion for Summary Judgment November 3, 2022
- New Partner Spotlight: Rick Somes August 7, 2019
- Tyson & Mendes Continues California Expansion with Orange County Office August 7, 2019
- Tyson & Mendes Opens Orange County Office Amid Firm’s Expansion: Experienced Litigator Richard Somes to Serve as Managing Partner of New Location August 6, 2019
- New Kids on the Block: Embracing Young Professionals to Defuse Nuclear Verdicts® June 5, 2024
- The Memories We Share Are the Greatest Treasure in Life: Or, Why Noneconomic Damages Are the Biggest Component of Nuclear Verdicts® February 16, 2024
- “Where is the Tenderness?”: A Freewheelin’ Musical Journey Through the Nuclear Verdicts® Defense Methods August 22, 2023
- CLM Construction Conference September 18-20, 2024
- West Coast Casualty’s Construction Defect Seminar May 17, 2024