Biography
Richard A. Schuster 蘇世達, is a trial lawyer and shareholder with the law firm of Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C. Richard helps companies litigate product liability, property, and commercial disputes throughout the United States. He also helps companies navigate the supply chain, regulatory, and other challenges they face doing business in the United States, particularly as they rapidly grow.
Richard prosecutes subrogation actions and defends manufacturers in equal measure, at home on either side of the aisle. He has handled over 1,000 cases, in almost every state in the country, mostly subrogation matters involving fires and product liability defenses for manufacturers. His ability to communicate in Mandarin Chinese has been an advantage on both sides.
Richard has achieved industry-changing results holding accountable manufacturers of fireplaces and grills in subrogation cases, results that led to safety improvements benefitting all consumers. He is currently leading the effort in the subrogation community to hold Gree accountable for selling millions of defective dehumidifiers and then hiding those defects from the public for over a year. His results in dehumidifier cases speak loudly.
On the defense side, he helped a manufacturer win a defense verdict in a federal court jury trial recognized as the #2 Most Distinguished Defense Verdict for the year 2015 by the North Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly.
On the front end, he helps companies negotiate, navigate, and understand the risks of the contracts into which they enter. He has worked with healthcare technology companies to maximize IPO gains, fitness technology suppliers to address the challenges of rapid growth, and dozens of OEM manufacturers to minimize and understand the risks they assume when signing form agreements with large retailers.
Richard is often invited to present on product liability defense and insurance litigation related topics in the U.S. and in Asia. He has also helped train claim staffs for Asian insurers.
Rich’s greatest professional pride is that clients rarely go elsewhere once entrusting him, a sign that they recognize how important each relationship is to him and how hard he will work to preserve and further it. A close second is he’s often told, “You don’t seem like a lawyer.”
Richard is Mandarin Chinese proficient, admires Asian culture, understands Asian corporations, and attended the National Chengchi University (國立政治大學) IMBA program. Richard graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he served as an Articles Editor for the Wisconsin Law Review and was a Bruce Beilfuss Award recipient.
Education
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National Chengchi University, International, Taipei, Taiwan, 2012 – Highest Honors (#1 Overall)
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National Chengchi University, International, Taipei, Taiwan, Chinese Language Center
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University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, Wisconsin, 2005, J.D. – Cum Laude
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St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin, 2000, B.S. – Magna Cum Laude
Bar Admissions
Wisconsin, 2005
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Pro Hac Vice Admissions
Approved to practice pro hac vice Florida, California, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, Louisiana, Arizona, Connecticut, and other states.
Memberships
- State Bar of Wisconsin, Member, 2005
- Claims Litigation Management (CLM), Member, 2012
- National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP), Member, 2013
Speaking Engagements
- Hot, Spicy, and Burnt! Understanding Restaurant Fires – March 22, 2024 – Session presented at 2024 NASP Spring Conference in Hersey, Pennsylvania.
- CHEAP TALK: Amazon’s Defective Product Policy Change and The Latest Online Marketplace Developments – November 6, 2023 – Session presented at 2023 Annual NASP Conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- Embracing the Unexpected in Litigation and Coming Out On Top – March 31, 2023 – Session presented at Young Lawyers Conference in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
- Kia / Hyundai Thefts: A Primer, Plan Forward, and Call to Action – March 14, 2023 – MWL Webinar presented to public.
- Subrogation In The News – February 17, 2023 – Seminar presented at NASP 2023 Spring Conference on Amelia Island, Florida.
- How to Win Litigation and Evaluate Attorney Performance (Part 2 of Property Subrogation Series) – December 7, 2022 – December 7, 2022 – MWL webinar presented to public.
- Tips For Success Fire Loss Subrogation Pursuit From Date of Loss To Trial (Part 1 of Property Subrogation Series) – October 12, 2022 – MWL webinar presented to public.
- Winning Cases In The Most Important, Least Appreciated State – Discovery – November 10, 2021 – Co-presented webinar at the 2021 NASP Annual Conference.
- Dehumidifier Claims: Recent Developments, War Stories, and Evaluating Your Subrogation Results – April 27, 2021 – MWL webinar presented to public.
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Subrogating Fireplace Fires – April 23, 2020 – Co-presented at the 2020 NASP Subrogation Litigation: Skills and Management Conference, which was scheduled to take place in Nashville, Tennessee, but ended up being a virtual event.
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The Unique Nature of Trucking Accident Evidence and Its Importance – October 29, 2019 – Seminar presented at 2019 Annual National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP) Conference in Washington, D.C.
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The Shield Surrounding Online Retailers: An Update on the Prime Strategies Utilized by Cyber Stores to Deflect Accountability – November 12, 2018 – Seminar presented at 2018 National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP) Conference in Orlando, Florida.
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Stop Overlooking Manufacturers on Clearance to Combustible Fireplace Cases – A Case Study on Why Pursuing Only the Installer is Selling Your Case Short – March 23, 2018 – Seminar presented at 2018 National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP) Litigation Skills Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- U.S. Product Liability Law and Developments – November 24, 2017 – Seminar presented at 2017 USA Product Liability Insurance Conference in Taipei, Taiwan.
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How Online Giants Fight to Avoid Product Liability for the Products they Sell and Why it Matters – November 13, 2017, Seminar presented at 2017 Annual National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP) Conference in Austin, Texas.
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Pursuing Online Retailer – Strategies, Stores, and Trends in Making Claims Against the Growing Online Retail Industry – November 6, 2017, Webinar presented to National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP).
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Subrogation Wars: A Galaxy On Fire, October 24, 2016, panel presentation at 2016 National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP) Annual Conference, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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Big Box Bounty: How the U.S. Retail Lobby is Reducing Property Insurers’ Subrogation Rights One State at a Time – A 50-State Examination of Retailer Law, November 10, 2015, seminar presented at 2015 National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP) Annual Conference in Reno, Nevada.
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Pursuing Foreign Manufacturers in Products Cases After The Supreme Court’s Nicastro Case – November 10, 2014 – Seminar presented at 2014 National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP) Annual Conference, in Orlando, Florida.
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Subrogating Claims Involving Asian Manufacturers: The New Approach – May 8, 2014 – MWL webinar presented to the public.
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Where’s The Beef? Subrogating Automobile/Livestock Collision – September, 17, 2013 – Seminar presented to 8th Annual Automobile Subrogation Strategies ExecuSummit, Uncasville, Connecticut.
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Product Liability Claims Handling, presented to Brokers Link Annual Asia Pac Conference in 2012 in Taipei, Taiwan.
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Product Liability and Asian Manufacturers presented at the ALFA Product Liability Fall 2011 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Effectively Handling Large Loss Claims, presented to Manufacturer’s Export Industry Group in 2010 in Xiamen, China.
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U.S. Product Liability Law and Litigation, presented to TAITRA (Taiwan International Trade Association) 2009 Conference in Taipei, Taiwan.