Richard S. Ranieri

Environmental & Toxic Tort Managing Partner
Bedminster
Bedminster One
135 Route 202/206, Suite 2
Bedminster, NJ 07921
New York City
1500 Broadway
Suite 2401
New York, NY 10036
Philadelphia
2000 Market Street
Suite 1300
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Rick Ranieri navigates and defends complex environmental litigation claims for his clients. He represents cases across various state and federal courts, particularly those involving occupational exposure to hazardous substances like asbestos, benzene, silica, and lead.

In his environmental practice, Rick tackles a broad spectrum of issues, from genetically modified organisms to landfill contamination and hazardous spills. With his wealth of experience, Rick is sought after for his insights and guidance in navigating these complex legal challenges.

Furthermore, Rick represents a diverse range of clients, including self-insured entities, insurance companies, and third-party administrators, in matters encompassing general liability, construction, and product liability. He frequently engages with regulatory agencies on behalf of his clients and possesses extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution.

Rick holds national certification as a civil trial advocate, and he is also certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a civil trial attorney.*

He has an AV® peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell. In 2013, Rick was listed as one of Philadelphia’s Top Rated Lawyers by American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell™. Rick was included in the New Jersey edition of Super Lawyers in the area of defense civil litigation numerous times since 2016.

*This certification is not granted by any governmental authority within the State of New York.

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel
  • Litigation Management, Council
  • Trial Attorneys of New Jersey
  • Indoor Air Quality Subcommittee

Speaking Engagements

  • 03.15.23 Speaker, “‘Kick the Tires’: How Excess Insurers Assess the True Value of Allegedly Significant Environmental Exposures,” CLM Annual Conference
  • 09.21.22 Speaker, “‘Kick the Tires’: How Excess Insurers Assess the True Value of Allegedly Significant Environmental Exposures,” FETTI Conference
  • 08.12.21 Panelist, “Morphing Mass Tort Litigation: What Monsanto’s Roundup Litigation Portends for Future Coverage and Claims Handling,” The Claims and Litigation Management Alliance Annual Conference
  • 09.26.18 Panelist, “Health Risks and Litigation and Coverage Issues with Roundup” at FETTI Conference
  • 06.25.19 Fallout from the Monsanto Roundup Verdicts: Present and Future Impact of Glyphosate’s Health Risks, Litigation, and Coverage Issues
  • 04.06.16 Panelist, “Handling Millennials and Baby Boomers (and Everything in Between) in Claims and Trials,” National Convention of the CLM Alliance
  • 02.23.16 Presenter, “GMOs and the Emerging Use, Risks, Bodily Injury, Property Damage, Economic Litigation and Insurance Issues,” EECMA
  • 10.08.15 Presenter, “GMOs and Their Related Emerging Use, Risks, BI/PD/Economic Litigation and Insurance Issues,” National Forum for Environmental and Toxic Tort Issues Conference
  • 09.27.13 Presenter, “Genetically Modified Foods” The National Forum for Environmental and Toxic Tort Issues (FETTI) Fall Conference
  • 03.27.13 Presenter, “Potato v. Pototo and Tomato v. Tomota: Genetically Engineered Foods,” Environmental & Emerging Claim Manager Association’s Spring Conference, Captiva Island, Florida
  • 03.22.11 Presenter, “Toxic Exposure Tort Claims Against the Employer: When Worker Compensation Exclusivity is Not Exclusive,” EECMA 2011 Spring Meeting

Cases and Experience

Secured summary judgment on behalf of a large east coast convenience store chain on the issue of lack of notice of black ice in a parking lot. The plaintiff claimed she fell on black ice in a parking lot and sustained severe spinal injuries, requiring surgery. The Court agreed with the defendant that there was no evidence that it had notice of the black ice and granted summary judgment and dismissed the case.

Successfully obtained dismissal of a serious injury/serious disability case on early Summary Judgment Motion in New Jersey State Court, in a case involving an issue of legal “first impression” in the state. An employee of our client fell off a building under construction and received workers’ compensation benefits for the injuries. The worker sued the general contractor for negligence and OSHA violations, but did not bring an employer liability claim against our client/subcontractor employer. The general contractor brought a third-party complaint alleging indirect employer liability, arguing workers’ compensation immunity did not bar indirect claims for “intentional” claims (OSHA violations, etc.). Summary Judgment was affirmed on appeal.

Successfully argued through all appellate levels including NJ Supreme Court case involving massive injuries and disabilities in mixed dram shop and motor vehicle case, where issue of statutory construction for lawsuit immunity statutes (bar to claims) in nature of statute of repose, was decided.

Successfully argued through all levels of appellate court including successfully at the New Jersey Supreme Court, occupational toxic exposure case where worker sued employer, despite worker receiving workers compensation benefits, under dual recovery theory allowed for “reckless indifference” theories, for rectal cancer allegedly due to exposure to solvents and heavy metals.

On behalf of sole “deep pocket” private defendant, successfully argued before NJ Superior
Court causing change in law for municipal liability for related conditions of public property, causing multiple public entities let out initially on Summary Judgment to be brought back in, case involving multiple fatalities and multiple disabling and disfiguring injuries to minor and additional plaintiffs.

Successfully argued appeal that changed New Jersey Law, on Dram Shop foreseeability issues, in case involving a minor death and multiple, substantial, disfiguring and disabling injuries to multiple minors.

Voss v. Tranquillo, A-110-09 (N.J. 2011)

Duckett v. Wawa, Inc., 3405 EDA 2009 (PA App. Ct. 2011)

Krzyzanski v. Swepco Tube, A006309-06T5 (N.J. App. Div. 2008)

Civalier v. Estate of Trancucci, 648 A.2d 705 (N.J. 1994)

Thomson v. Victor’s Liquore Store, Inc., 523 A.2d 269 (N.J. App. Div. 1987)

Prior results cannot and do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter that we or any lawyer may be retained to handle.

News & Presentations

09.21.22 | Speaking Engagements | Environmental & Toxic Tort
Speaker, “‘Kick the Tires’: How Excess Insurers Assess the True Value of Allegedly Significant Environmental Exposures,” FETTI Conference

Assistant

Education

  • Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, J.D., 1985
  • Drexel University, B.S., cum laude, 1982

Practices

Admissions

  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Industries

Awards & Recognition

  • Martindale-Hubbell AV® Rating
  • Philadelphia’s Top Rated Lawyers by ALM and Martindale-Hubbell™, 2013
  • New Jersey Super Lawyers – Defense Civil Litigation, 2016-2022, 2025
Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby, LLP
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Read our complete Privacy Policy.