People

Steven J. Rice
Member

Mr. Rice has a diverse practice which is reflected by his membership in the Mass Torts and Industry-Wide Litigation, Insurance Litigation and Product Liability Defense, and Construction and Surety Law Practice Groups. 

For more than 25 years, Mr. Rice has practiced at the forefront of toxic tort litigation.  He has defended hundreds of lead paint and toxic mold cases on behalf of residential property owners and managers.  He has chaired four national Lead Paint Litigation Conferences and has lectured and published extensively on issues relating to lead paint and mold.  In addition, his practice also includes the defense of sick buildings, multi-chemical sensitivities and asbestos abatement cases.  Mr. Rice is listed in New York Super Lawyers in the areas of personal injury defense: general, civil litigation defense and construction litigation. 

Mr. Rice is currently defending a large property owner/manager in the World Trade Center Disaster Site Litigation, and he has been retained to defend a product manufacturer in a $100 million construction defect mold case.  In the past, Mr. Rice has defended the manufacturers and distributors of computer keyboards in the repetitive stress injury cases, as well as drug products, medical devices and medical malpractice actions.

Mr. Rice also actively defends property owners and retailers in their general liability claims relating to premises liability due to defective sidewalks, staircases, snow and ice, as well as collapsed ceilings, elevator malfunctions, breaches of security and the like, resulting in serious injury and death.

Mr. Rice defends construction companies in Labor Law cases involving injuries to construction workers as well as passers by.  A portion of his practice is devoted to automobile defense and no fault issues.

Among Mr. Rice’s current clients are the Lefrak Organization, New Atlantis Management Corp., Guardsmark LLC, Regal Entertainment Group, AutoZone, Inc., and Orkin Exterminating.  He is regularly retained by many insurance companies to defend their catastrophic cases.  Mr. Rice, however, takes pride in defending many uninsured clients, especially those who cannot acquire coverage for lead paint liability.

Professional & Community Activities

Mr. Rice is a member of the Defense Research Institute, the New York State Bar Association, the New York County Trial Lawyers Association, and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York where he has served on the Tort Section’s subcommittee on court reform and jury management.

Mr. Rice has had the privilege to chair four national Lead Paint Litigation Conferences, which were held in New Orleans, twice in Philadelphia and in Washington, D.C.  He has lectured extensively on risk management issues to corporate executives and their assistants.  He has spoken at many toxic tort seminars regarding the defense of lead paint and mold cases.  Some of the topics were “New Theories and Practice,” “Cross Examination of a Vocational Expert,” “Cross Examination of a Neuropsychologist,” “Latest Trends in Mold Class Actions,” and “Trial Strategies.”

Some of Mr. Rice’s published articles include:

  • “Defending the Landlord” chapter for DRI Handbook, November 2007.
  • “Lead Exposure Does Not a Lead Poisoning Case Make: Mealey’s Litigation Report; March 2001. 
  • “The Search for Accountability” Mealey’s Publications, co-authored with Vincent Chirico; April 1999.
  • “The Pervasive Presence of Lead,” Mealey’s Publications, co-authored with Vincent Chirico; April 1998.
  • “Juarez v. Wavecrest, A Defense Counsel’s Interpretation,” Law Journal Seminars-Press, 1997; reprinted in Mealey’s Lead Litigation Report, Volume 6, Issue 23, September 1997.
  • “Defending the Landlord,” Law Journal Seminars – Press, 1996.

Recognized as a New York State Super Lawyer