Prior to becoming the Chief Legal Officer at Ferrellgas, Rick was was an associate and Of Counsel at the international law firm of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLP.  where he specialized in products liability defense and complex commercial litigation.  There he represented numerous blue-chip clients in state and federal courts throughout the United States.  He has served as lead counsel in numerous bench and jury tried cases, and has successfully prosecuted more than a dozen cases seeking preliminary and permanent injunctive relief on behalf his clients in state and federal courts throughout the country.

In 2009, Rick joined Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. (NYSE: FGP), the nation’s second largest propane retailer and owner of the Blue Rhino® brand, America’s largest BBQ propane cylinder exchange service.  As the Chief Legal Officer, he was responsible for all legal matters affecting the Company, including regulatory compliance (e.g., OSHA, EPA, DOT, DOL, FTC, CPSC), mergers and acquisitions,  labor relations, employment claims, insurance procurement, contract drafting and negotiation, and actively managed thousands of claims and lawsuits, including those involving catastrophic injury, multi-district class actions, securities and derivatives lawsuits.  Additionally, Rick was the Vice President of Ferrellgas’ Safety, Risk and Real Estate Departments, and served as  Chairman of its Safety Task Force.