About Us
E. Douglas Richards
Doug Richards focuses his law practice on employee benefits and ERISA litigation, wage and hour claims, and various forms of civil rights claims, including a special interest in claims against governmental entities.
Mr. Richards grew up in Allen County, Kentucky, between Bowling Green and Nashville. He earned a Bachelor's degeree in Economics from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1980, and his Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans in 1984, after which he returned to his home state of Kentucky.
Mr. Richards started his own practice in 1990, generally representing employees in various kinds of employment matters. He eventually became drawn to pension, ERISA and employee benefit litigation, and developed an extensive practice. Mr. Richards served as lead trial counsel in Horn v. McQueen, 215 F.Supp.2d 867 (W.D. Ky. 2002) , and 353 F.Supp.2d 785 (W.D. Ky. 2004), which involved financial transactions related to the establishment of an employee stock ownership plan, and eventually secured a judgment on behalf of plan participants in the amount of $20,669,997 in early 2005.
Mr. Richards teams with other law firms to work on various matters in Kentucky and across the country. He is admitted to practice in all Kentucky state courts, in the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky, the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Reported Cases
Mr. Richards's reported cases include:
Horn v. McQueen, 215 F.Supp.2d 867 (W.D. Ky. 2002), and 353 F.Supp. 2d 785 (W.D. Ky. 2004) (lead trial counsel in suit for breach of fiduciary duties and prohibited transactions on behalf of former participants against ESOP trustees for payment of more than adequate consideration for employer securities used to fund the ESOP; final judgment for plaintiffs in the amount of $20,669,997 rendered January 3, 2005).
Doe v. University of Kentucky, 860 F.3d 365 (6th Cir. 2017) (raising constitutional issues arising from student disciplinary actions against the University of Kentucky).
Durand v. Hanover Ins. Group, Inc., 560 F.3d 436 (6th Cir. 2009) (reversal of district court as to calculation of lump sum distributions from converted cash-balance pension plan under ERISA).
Dozier v. Sun Life Assur. Co. of Canada, 466 F.3d 532 (6th Cir. 2006) (Reversal of district court judgment relating to group life insurance policy under ERISA plan).
Parson v. Union Underwear Co., Inc., 95 Fed.Appx. 144 (6th Cir. 2004) (claims for disability retirement benefits for employees under ERISA).
Reed v. Reno, 146 F.3d 392 (6th Cir. 1998) (challenge to maximum entry age rules for law enforcement officers at the Bureau of Prisons).
United States v. Stearns Co., 949 F.2d 223 (6th Cir. 1991) (representing the Commonwealth of Kentucky in litigation relating to “broad form” mineral deeds).
Napier v. Hartford Life Ins. Co., 282 F.Supp.2d 531 (E.D. Ky. 2003) (successful claim for long-term disability benefits under ERISA plan).
Temperance League of Kentucky v. Perry, 74 S.W.3d 730 (Ky. 2002) (successful defense of constitutional challenge to statute allowing any “dry” city or county to hold a local option election to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in certain restaurants and dining facilities).
Personal
Mr. Richards has long been active in various professional and community groups in Kentucky. He is an avid hiker and outdoorsman, having visited many National Parks and wilderness areas in the western United States and Canada, including several hiking and rafting trips in Grand Canyon.
He was awarded the Hiram S. Hunn Memorial Schools and Scholarship Award from Harvard University in 2013, for his work in recruiting Appalachian students to Harvard College.