Special Licenses/Certifications:

• COURT ADMISSIONS:  U.S. Supreme Court, U .S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth, Eighth and District of Columbia Circuits, U.S. District Court for the Districts of Colorado, New Jersey and District of Columbia, U.S. Tax Court, Pro Hac Vice admission in numerous jurisdictions throughout the U.S.BAR ADMISSIONS: Colorado, 1976, District of Columbia, 1971, New Jersey, 1969

Bar/Professional Activity:

• American Bar Association, White Collar Crime Committee, American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Criminal Law Section, Colorado Bar Association, Denver Bar Association, Boulder Bar Association, District of Columbia Bar Association, New Jersey Bar Association,     National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers,Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, Faculty of Federal Advocates,Mentor to many young lawyers

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Member U. S. District Court for the District of Colorado Magistrate Judge Nominating Committee, Lectured on many litigation-related issues and served as a NITA instructor, Assisted in development of the U.S. Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute, Taught trial skills to newly appointed Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and other government lawyers while at the U.S. Department of Justice

Scholarly Lectures and Writings:

• Keynote address at Colorado Bar Association Securities Litigation Subsection Meeting: "The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Federal Securities Litigation"
• Vermeire, "The Federal Stimulus Fund - Effect on False Claims Act Actions," 38 The Colorado Lawyer 93
• Presenter, State Bar of Arizona Business and Agency Governance from Compliance to Prosecution: "Government Regulation Under New Financial Paradigm - The Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010"
• Lecture and author on newly enacted Financial Reform Act before Colorado Bar Association, 2011

Representative Clients:

• LITIGATION EXPERIENCE: Plaintiff Counsel in Ben Dreith v. National Football League, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.  Successfully litigated and settled landmark age discrimination case against the NFL before Judge Jim Carrigan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado representing legendary Super Bowl Referee Ben Dreith.Defense Counsel for Large Oil Company - Defended Taurus Oil Company and numerous Texas oil drilling and exploration companies in multimillion dollar, two-week securities fraud jury trial before Chief Judge Albert Bryan in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria). Jury returned verdict in favor of his client.State of Colorado v. British American Tobacco Companies et al. Represented British Tobacco Companies (Dunhill, Benson Hedges, etc.) in multimillion dollar tobacco industry  lawsuit brought by Colorado Attorney General. Negotiated and effected settlement that included other tobacco company defendants and the State of Colorado.Defense Counsel for Mutual Fund - U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.  Represented president of Founders mutual fund, a defendant in a $25 million fraud case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Obtained a dismissal of case. No appeal.Defense Counsel for Large Oil Company - U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.  Defended Taurus Oil Company and its executives in multimillion dollar, two-week, securities fraud jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Billings, Montana. Jury verdict for plaintiffs against co-defendant brokerage company. Rich was the only defense counsel to obtain a jury verdict in favor of his clients.Defense Counsel for numerous, national broker-dealers in leveraged buy-out case - U.S. District for the District of Colorado.  Representation and defense of over a dozen of the country’s largest brokerage firms (Smith Barney, Bear Stearns, Shearson Lehman, etc.) in billion-dollar leveraged buy-out collapse and adversary proceeding before Judge Zita Weinshienk in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Action dismissed after summary judgment in clients’ favor.Plaintiff Counsel in Oneida Steel v. CF&I Steel - U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Successfully represented Oneida Steel, a Native American minority-owned steel processing company, against CF&I Steel, a nationally prominent steel company, in a fraud and breach of contract lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Settlement in excess of $2 million.Plaintiff Counsel in Representation of large Denver bank - Successfully represented Bank Western as plaintiff in off-shore fraud scheme where defendant hid millions in assets throughout the world. Obtained numerous orders from foreign jurisdictions allowing client to reach off-shore assets of defendant.Defense Counsel in State of Colorado v. A.O. Smith - U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, Defense of client in Summitville mine federal environmental superfund case in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Case against client was dismissed on motion for summary judgment.Plaintiff Counsel in Western Gas v. Enron - U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Successfully represented Western Gas Processors in $8 million lawsuit relating to gas pipeline against Enron  in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.Plaintiff Counsel in Stanley Hotel Lawsuit.  Represented plaintiff in multimillion dollar lawsuit in Larimer County District Court against numerous entities comprising the landmark Stanley Hotel (scene of author Stephen King’s The Shining) in Estes Park, Colorado. Won Judgment against all defendants on “piercing the corporate veil-alter ego” legal theories.Prosecution of Penny Stock Fraud.  Successfully prosecuted the former brokerage firm Blinder Robinson and its executives for securities fraud while serving as Chief Trial Counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission. Civil trial gained national notoriety when Chief Judge Richard Matsch issued a lengthy published opinion finding brokerage firm and individuals liable on numerous fraud counts. See SEC v. Blinder Robinson & Co., 542 F. Supp. 468 (D. Colo. 1982), aff’d, (1983-1984) Fed. Sec. L. Rep. (CCH) 99,491 (10th Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1108 (1985).INVESTIGATIONS AND WHITE COLLAR CRIME DEFENSE EXPERIENCE:Mutual Fund Investigation.  Defense of mutual fund company in investigation by Colorado Division of Securities.People v. Kidztime et al.  Obtained an acquittal for client in month-long criminal, securities fraud jury trial in Jefferson County District Court. Case No. 2001-CR-457.People v. Reilly.  Defended one of the first nationally televised criminal jury trials on COURT TV in State v. Reilly. Obtained acquittal after one-week trial of a nurse charged in an alleged mercy killing case in Denver District Court.SEC Investigation.  Successfully represented executive of INVESCO Mutual Funds in SEC investigation.SEC Investigation.  Successfully represented executive of Janus Funds in SEC investigation.SEC Investigation.  Successfully represented controller and vice-president of public company in SEC Sarbanes-Oxley investigationFederal Health Care Fraud Defense.  Successfully defended prominent Colorado pharmacist against federal health care fraud indictment. All criminal charges against client were dismissed.U.S. v. Herron.  Representation of client in defense of an indictment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado alleging criminal violations of the Clean Air Act relating to the asbestos abatement project at Fort Morgan High School, Fort Morgan, Colorado. Negotiated a successful plea with the United States resulting in a complete dismissal of all felony courts. Case No. 04-CR-0152.United States v. Bear Country, U.S.A.  Successful defense of one of the largest privately owned wild animal parks in the U.S. against Lacey Act wildlife charges in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota. Represented Colorado corporation in major shareholder litigation, successful settlement. Represented defendant in alleged $25 million Ponzi scheme., 2011

Educational Background:

• Rutgers University School of Law, J.D., 1969 Rutgers University, B.A., 1966