Richard V. Falcon

Richard Falcon
 

Richard V. Falcon

Partner

Forty+ Years of Experience as a Baltimore Lawyer

PRACTICE AREAS: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE, PERSONAL INJURY, UNNECESSARY STENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL TORTS, COMMERCIAL LITIGATION

Richard V. Falcon began his legal career in 1971 and, shortly thereafter, joined Judge William H. “Billy” Murphy to establish the firm of Murphy & Falcon.

Since that time, the two have built a true legal partnership, remaining closely involved in every major civil case the firm has handled over the last several decades. Together, Judge Murphy and Mr. Falcon have resolved cases both nationally and locally in Baltimore, building their reputation as a respected legal team.

Mr. Falcon is well-known and respected for his exceptional analytical abilities and writing skills during the initial trial and the appeal process. He is often seen as the architect behind many of Murphy, Falcon & Murphy’s most pivotal cases.

His fellow partners talk about his “sheer brilliance” and call him “the best legal mind on the planet.” Said one of his more learned colleagues, “Dick’s forgotten more law than most people will ever know.”

LEGAL APPROACH

Mr. Falcon develops the precise structure and legal strategy for many of Murphy, Falcon & Murphy’s clients. While the process is extremely collaborative among the firm’s legal team, Mr. Falcon is especially skilled at crafting the blueprints for a case. He stresses the importance of designing your battle, not just waiting to fight the one presented to you.

Dick’s sheer brilliance is unmatched in any courtroom today.”– Judge Lynn K. Stewart, Baltimore City Circuit Court

As he says, “Every case has something in it that becomes a focal point and you cannot forget about it. Every deposition you take, every person you interview, every expert you hire, every motion you file, every motion you oppose, has got to have the same thematic scheme to it. You can’t lose sight of that.”

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

As an active advocate and attorney during the civil rights movement, Mr. Falcon successfully sued the Prince George’s County School Board, which headed the thirteenth largest school district in the country, to end segregation in its public schools — a process which took a mere nine months despite ferocious opposition. In Vaughns v. Board of Education of Prince George’s County (1972), Mr. Falcon asserted that segregation had been intentional after reviewing the original construction plan for the county’s schools and presenting irrefutable evidence to the jury.

More recently, in Wynn et. al. v. MJ Harbor Hotel, LLC, Mr. Falcon and the Murphy, Falcon & Murphy team obtained a settlement of $34.33 million for numerous Ruth Chris’ Steakhouse employees who suffered permanent injuries from carbon monoxide poisoning — which was the result of negligent hotel management.

EARLY YEARS

Mr. Falcon became captivated with the idea of becoming an attorney at the age of seven when he met the lawyer who would go on to represent his brother in a personal injury case. From this early indelible impression grew a lifelong passion for the law.

Mr. Falcon’s career as an attorney quickly accelerated after graduating from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

After serving as a tax and securities lawyer at Sutherland Asbill in Atlanta, Mr. Falcon headed north to Baltimore, where he became an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Maryland School of Law in 1971. In 1973, he was promoted to Professor of Law, becoming the youngest tenured professor in the school’s history. Outside of the classroom, Mr. Falcon pursued many of the civil rights cases that defined the era.

EDUCATION

During his time at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, Mr. Falcon was the Executive Editor of the Law Review. In 1969, he graduated summa cum laude and first in his class.