Dean Richlin
Dean Richlin has successfully represented Fortune 500 companies, as well leading companies and institutions in the fields of life sciences, health care and education. Drawing from more than 30 years of experience, including five years as the First Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Dean helps clients resolve, and when necessary litigate through trial, commercial and intra-company disputes, corporate and regulatory compliance matters, and intellectual property cases. Moreover, he provides strategic advice and effective defense for clients facing state and federal authorities with a particular focus on investigations, prosecutions and enforcement actions by state attorneys general.
Dean develops and implements winning strategies for high stakes litigation matters. Whether representing non-profit health insurers in fighting arbitrary rate caps, advising the board of directors of a major academic medical center regarding its departing CEO, or securing a multi-million dollar arbitration award for a wrongly discharged President and CEO of a Fortune 100 company, he is always mindful of the interests of regulators and the critical role of public relations.
In recognition of his professional standing, Dean has been inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Dean serves as the Deputy Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department.
Bars and Court Admissions
- Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
- Supreme Court of the United States
Representative Experience
The following is a brief summary of Dean's experience and accomplishments:
- Business Litigation/Dispute Resolution:
- Successfully represented the former President and CEO of a Fortune 100 company in overturning his discharge for cause and securing an arbitration award for over $60 million.
- Defended at trial a pharmaceutical company in an action for unjust enrichment and unfair trade practices arising from a patent dispute.
- Successfully represented all Massachusetts non-profit health insurers, both in court and administrative proceedings, in resisting an attempt by the Division of Insurance to impose arbitrary rate caps.
- Obtained a favorable settlement for a manufacturer against its former employee and a competitor in an action for misappropriation of trade secrets and proprietary information.
- Successfully defended an international financial services company in an action by a former senior executive seeking additional separation benefits under a change of control agreement.
- Obtained summary judgment for an investment advisory firm in an action by a former investor seeking substantial compensatory and punitive damages for allegations of misrepresentation and breaches of fiduciary duty.
- Obtained summary judgment for a pension plan and its trustee in an action by an investment manager tens of millions of dollars for lost profits allegedly arising from the plan’s breach of the parties’ investment agreement.
- Government Investigations:
- Representation of major non-profit health care entities in Attorney General investigations regarding executive compensation.
- Representation of several national retailers in investigations by a variety of state regulators including the Attorney General and the Inspector General.
- Defense of a national retailer in multistate Attorney General investigation arising from the theft of credit card information.
- Defense of national financial services in an enforcement action by State Attorney General arising from subprime lending.
- Defense of pension plan trustees in matters involving alleged ERISA violations.
- Representation of agencies and charitable organizations in fraud investigations.
- Represented a health insurer in an investigation by the State Attorney General and State Division of Insurance involving broker fees and alleged False Claims Act violations.
- Governance Matters and Strategic Advising:
- Advised the board of directors of a major medical center in negotiating the very public departure of the medical center's President and CEO.
- Negotiated favorable treatment of a founding member in the restructuring of an international consulting firm occasioned by the firm's decline in revenues.
- Advised a national consulting firm regarding a negotiating strategy that has led to two extensions of the firm's multi-million dollar state contract.
- Conducted an annual compliance review for a pharmaceutical company.
- Conducted an internal investigation for a major teaching hospital into allegations of undisclosed conflicts of interest.
- Conducted an internal investigation for a major public agency into allegations of False Claims Act violations.
- From 1999 to 2004 Dean served as First Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In this capacity he was lead or supervisory attorney for all major cases and initiatives, including:
- Successful defense of the Commonwealth in a six-week jury trial from a claim for billions of dollars in additional attorneys fees for legal services rendered to the Commonwealth in the nation-wide tobacco litigation.
- Oversight of all state investigations, administrative and regulatory matters, lawsuits and prosecutions regarding prescription drug pricing.
- Negotiation of settlements in major business regulations cases, including the state-mandated environmental clean-up of the Housatonic River; the return of royalty rights for pharmaceuticals invented at the state laboratory; the payment to charities of an additional $30 million and the acceptance of governance reforms in connection with the sale of the Boston Red Sox in 2002.
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- Before entering public service Dean was a partner in private practice. Following his law school graduation he served as law clerk to the Honorable David S. Nelson, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and as law clerk to the Honorable Paul J. Liacos, Supreme Judicial Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
professional / civic involvement
- Commonwealth Care Alliance, Chair 2007-present; Director, 2005-present
- MassInc, Director, 2010-present
- Boston Municipal Research Bureau, Director, 2009-present
- Temple Israel of Boston, President, 2003-2005; Officer and Trustee, 1995-2005
- Boston Bar Association, Council Member, 2000-2003
- NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, New England Committee, Member, 1994-1999
- Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Leading Industries Committee, Co-Chair, 1994-1996