Trisha Michelle Rich

Trisha M. Rich Partner Trisha M. Rich Partner [email protected] Chicago +1.312.578.6514 New York +1.212.513.3545 Practices Litigation and Dispute Resolution Lawyer Ethics, Risk Management and Regulation Industry Legal Profession Trisha M. Rich +1.312.578.6514 Overview Representative Experience Credentials Multimedia Publications Speaking Engagements News Overview Trisha Rich is a litigator, trial attorney and one of the countrys foremost lawyers working in the area of legal ethics, professional responsibility, the business of law and the regulation of the legal profession. Ms. Rich brings nearly two decades of broad experience to assist all types of clients in navigating complex business and commercial disputes. She has served as lead or co-lead in more than a dozen trials and arbitrations and has extensive experience representing clients in administrative proceedings. Ms. Richs litigation experience includes high-stakes matters involving business torts, commercial disputes, contracts, employment matters, negligence and myriad other civil matters. Additionally, Ms. Rich leads Holland & Knights national Legal Profession Team and regularly counsels lawyers, law firms, in-house legal departments, legal technology companies, investors and other stakeholders regarding the regulation of the practice of law. Ms. Rich is the first vice president of the Chicago Bar Association and will become president of the organization in June 2026. She is also a past president of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the nations largest bar association for legal ethicists and professional responsibility lawyers. Trish is a problem solver, practical thinker, and always has an idea (or two) on how to help our business. She delivers high quality legal advice across many areas and her partnership is critical to my ability to manage risk, big and small, across a global business. Trish is always my first call and my most trusted advisor. - Current Client, 2025 In her legal ethics and legal regulation practice, Ms. Rich is a nationally recognized leader. Her experience in this space includes extensive work in emerging areas of New Law, including litigation financing, alternative business structures (ABSs) and the regulation of the business of law. She has significant experience and is a market leader in representing both law firms and investors in structuring law firm/management service organization (MSO) partnerships. Ms. Rich is often called upon to serve as outside general counsel to law firms, advising on all types of risk management, legal ethics and legal regulatory matters, including complex conflicts and privilege matters, internal investigations, partnership formations and breakups, and law firm data breaches and security. She regularly handles lawyer and law firm litigation, including partnership disputes, disciplinary proceedings, legal fee disagreements, and sanctions and disqualification motions, among other issues. Ms. Rich also serves as an expert witness in the legal ethics and regulatory space. Trish is the consummate legal professional. She is responsive, attentive, personable, accountable, and she is a creative legal thinker. Those traits coupled with her depth of knowledge and experience make her an ideal advisor to any sophisticated enterprise. As the head of our in-house legal department, I consider Trish an essential aspect of our operation. - Current Client, 2025 Ms. Rich has often been recognized for her work, including being named repeatedly to Crains Chicago Business Notable Litigators and Trial Attorneys, Thomson Reuters Stand-Out Lawyers and Illinois Super Lawyers, as well as being designated as a National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) Master Advocate in 2023. In 2021, Law Bulletin Media named Ms. Rich among the Top 50 Women in Law, and in 2018, she was recognized in Crains Chicago Business as a 40 Under 40, the only practicing attorney recognized that year. Ms. Rich sits in Holland & Knights Chicago and New York offices and serves as the Chicago offices Professional Responsibility Partner. She has taught legal regulation and professional responsibility law at a number of law schools, including in her current appointment as an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law. Ms. Rich is a frequent speaker, lecturer and author on many legal regulation and ethics topics. She is often sought out for media contributions related to legal regulation and has been cited or quoted in many publications, including in The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, Financial Times, Reuters, Bloomberg Law and others. She is the author of Practical Ethics, the ethics column in the Chicago Bar Associations magazine. In addition to her bar service, Ms. Rich has active leadership roles in a number of other legal and community organizations, including serving in leadership on the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee, where she was one of the authors of the 2023 Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct. Prior to practicing law, Ms. Rich taught practical and theoretical ethics at two universities. Representative Experience Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility + Represented lawyers, law firms and investors in significant management service organization (MSO) transactions Advised lawyers, law firms and in-house counsel on various professional responsibility, legal ethics, conflicts and lateral hiring issues Represented lawyers, law firms and stakeholders in forming and maintaining Arizona-based alternative business structures Represented law students in character and fitness proceedings, as well as lawyers in disciplinary defense actions Defended law firms and lawyers in major litigation, including high-stakes sanctions and disqualification proceedings Initiated and defended major litigation on behalf of law firms, including sanctions and disqualification proceedings Assisted lawyers and law firms in opening new firms or new offices of existing firms, including serving as primary outside counsel to large law firms for expanding into new geographic areas Served as an expert witness for legal ethics and professional responsibility matters, including partnership disputes, lateral transitions and fee disputes Advised law firms on remediation and ethical responsibilities as a result of data breaches Fraud and Breach of Contract Claims + Represented a financial services company in a $22 million fraud and breach of contract arbitration, ultimately prevailing in arbitration with a defense award Successfully defended a book publisher and author in a class action litigation suit alleging consumer fraud and deceptive marketing tactics Successfully represented a major state pension fund in multiple contract and fraud disputes Won injunctive relief for a medical platform alleging fraud and breach of contract against a third-party contractor Financial Services Litigation + Represented financial institutions for alleged violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) Representation of various types of lenders, including investment managers and special servicers, in a complex multimillion-dollar distressed real estate litigation involving commercial and mixed-use properties Prosecution of complex foreclosures of commercial properties on behalf of lenders, successfully reaching resolutions maximizing recovery to lenders Defense of commercial lenders in a broad range of lender liability disputes, including claims of fraud and breach of fiduciary duties Real Estate, Property Management and Receivership Litigation + Prosecution of complex foreclosures of commercial properties on behalf of lenders, successfully reaching resolutions that maximized recovery to lenders Represented commercial lenders in contested foreclosures of office buildings, shopping centers and multifamily developments, including contested evidentiary hearings and various motion practices Representation of commercial landlords and tenants in lease disputes Represented major banks in multiple commercial foreclosure matters Credentials Education University of Michigan Law School, J. D. Western Michigan University, M. A., Philosophy, magna cum laude Western Michigan University, BBA, Business and Economics, magna cum laude Bar Admissions/Licenses Arizona Illinois New York Michigan Court Admissions U. S. Supreme Court U. S. Tax Court U. S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Trial Bar U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois U. S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan U. S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan U. S. District Court for the District of Colorado U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Memberships Chicago Bar Association, First Vice President, 2025-2026; Secretary, 2023-2025; Executive Committee, 2023-Present; Membership Committee, 2015-Present; Finance Committee, 2016-Present; CLE Committee, 2016-Present; Board of Managers, 2019-2021; Judicial Evaluation Committee, 2013-2019; Nomination Committee, 2016 Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, Immediate Past President, 2023-2024; President, 2022-2023; President-Elect, 2021-2022; Secretary, 2020-2021 American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Liaison, 2019; Director, 2019-2020; Marketing Committee Chair, 2015-2019 Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, Commissioner, 2017-2025; Audit & Finance Committee Chair, 2020-2025 ABA/Bloomberg Law Lawyers Manual on Professional Conduct, Editorial Board, 2023-Present Law360 Editorial Board Member, Legal Ethics, 2020-Present ABA, Center for Professional Responsibility, 2014-Present Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee, Committee Coordinator, 2016-Present Chicago Bar Association/Chicago Bar Foundation (CBA/CBF) Task Force on the Sustainable Practice of Law & Innovation, 2020-2021 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Ethics Commission, Chair, 2021-Present New York City Bar Association, Committee on Professional Ethics, 2020-2023 National ABS Law Firm Association, 2025-Present National Conference of Bar Presidents; Programming Committee, 2023-2025; Membership Committee, 2023-2024 Chicago Inn of Court, 2016-Present American Bar Foundation, Fellow, 2020-Present Justice Entrepreneurs Project, Advisory Board Member, 2016-Present 44th Ward Judicial Evaluation Committee, Chair, 2025 Personal PAC, Vice Chair, 2024-Present; Board Member, 2019-Present Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth, Board Member, 2023-2026 Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation, Board Member, 2025-Present Holland & Knight Womens Initiative, Chicago Office Co-Chair, 2022-2025 Leadership Greater Chicago, Fellow, Class of 2021 Chicago Bar Foundation, Pro Bono Week Co-Chair, 2017 The American Lawyer Young Lawyers Editorial Board, 2018-2021 University of Michigan Law School, Reunion Committees Co-Chair, 2011, 2016, 2021 Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois, Associate Board, 2011-2019 Illinois Judges Foundation Auxiliary Committee, 2016-2020 The Diversity Scholarship Foundation Unity Awards Dinner Committee, 2016-2019 Honors & Awards Top Women Lawyers in Leadership, Womens Bar Association of Illinois, 2025 The Best Lawyers in America guide, Commercial Litigation, 2026 Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, 2024, 2025 Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters, 2024, 2025 Notable Women in Law, Crains Chicago Business, 2024 Notable Litigators and Trial Attorneys, Crains Chicago Business, 2023 National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), Advocate, 2022; Master Advocate, 2023 Top 50 Women in Law, Law Bulletin Media, 2021 Chicagos Notable Women Lawyers, Crains Chicago Business, 2018, 2020 Pro Bono All Star, Holland & Knight, 2007-2021 40 Under 40, Crains Chicago Business, 2018 Forty Under 40 Illinois Lawyers to Watch, Law Bulletin Media, 2017 The Maurice Weigle Exceptional Young Lawyer Award, Chicago Bar Foundation, 2017 Emerging Lawyer, Leading Lawyers, 2015-2017 Holland & Knight Public and Charitable Service All-Star, 2013, 2017 Holland & Knight Living the Commitment Award, 2016 Milton H. Gray Award for Outstanding Project Leadership, Chicago Bar Associations Young Lawyers Section, 2016 Rising Star, Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, 2013-2016 Top Fundraiser, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois Associate Board, 2014-2015; 2015-2016 David C. Hilliard Award for Outstanding Committee Service, Committee Co-Chair, 2015 Holland & Knight Rising Star, Class of 2014 Holland & Knight National Brightest Star Award, 2014 Northern District of Illinois Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service, 2011 Multimedia Inside the Legal Profession: Trisha Rich on the Surging Interest in MSOs and ABSs Getting Involved, Giving Back: Bar Leaders Share Their Stories Bullying in the Legal Profession Prisoner Rights with Alan Mills Celebrating 150 Years of The Chicago Bar Association: An Interview with Former CBA Executive Director Terry Murphy Celebrating 150 Years of The Chicago Bar Association: An Interview with CBA President Ray Koenig III Podcast - The Importance of Civility in Trial Law The Worlds Most Famous Doll (Who Shall Remain Nameless for Legal Reasons) Goes to Court to Protect Her Brand The Right to Repair Your Stuff with Gay Gordon-Byrne Ethics Not Your Average Wellness Podcast for Lawyers The Tylenol Murders: Discussing New Evidence in the Unsolved Case The Catchy Jingle and Ubiquitous Billboards of Cellino & Barnes Starved Rock Murders: The Case for Chester Wegers Innocence Legal Ghost Stories with Author-Historian Adam Selzer Mass Shooting in Highland Park: An Interview with Mayor Nancy Rotering and Corporation Counsel Steve Elrod Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization: A Conversation with Michelle Wetzel General Counsel of Planned Parenthood of Illinois War in Ukraine: Colonel Yevgeny Eugene Vindman Discusses the Law of War War in Ukraine: Immigration Attorney Andy Semotiuk Discusses the Humanitarian Crisis @the Bar from the Mailbag How Lawyers TV Ads Became a Billion-Dollar Industry The Dr. Death Edition: A Conversation with Dallas D. A. Michelle Shughart about the crimes and prosecution of Christopher Duntsch The Art of Shameless Self-Promotion Edition The Speaking of Speakers Edition: A Discussion with Illinois New House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch The Smartmatic v. Fox News Edition The Revolution Edition: A Live-Audience Conversation with Josh Deth, Founder of Revolution Brewing The Chocolate Covered Edition The Chief Justices Edition The Killer Clown Edition: The Prosecution of John Wayne Gacy The Amanda Knox Again Edition: An Interview with the Defense Team 2018 Volunteer Impact Award Publications So You Want to Start an Arizona Alternative Business Structure? December 8, 2025 5 Minutes Financing Nonlegal Asset Acquisitions in Law Firm MSO Partnerships: What Investors Should Know November 3, 2025 5 Minutes Why Lawyers and Law Firms Should Pay Attention to MSO Partnerships October 21, 2025 8 Minutes Everything Old Is New Again: Why Law Firm MSOs Fit Comfortably Within Existing Ethics Rules Holland & Knight Article December 1, 2025 18 Minutes Understanding and Avoiding Liability in E-Discovery IN PRACTICE...with CNA 2025 Practical Ethics: 2-Year Pilot Program Lets Lawyers Earn CLE Credit for Pro Bono Work Chicago Bar Association Record September/October 2025 So You Want to Start an Arizona Alternative Business Structure? December 8, 2025 / 5 Minutes Everything Old Is New Again: Why Law Firm MSOs Fit Comfortably Within Existing Ethics Rules Holland & Knight Article / December 1, 2025 / 18 Minutes Financing Nonlegal Asset Acquisitions in Law Firm MSO Partnerships: What Investors Should Know November 3, 2025 / 5 Minutes Understanding and Avoiding Liability in E-Discovery IN PRACTICE...with CNA / 2025 Why Lawyers and Law Firms Should Pay Attention to MSO Partnerships October 21, 2025 / 8 Minutes Practical Ethics: 2-Year Pilot Program Lets Lawyers Earn CLE Credit for Pro Bono Work Chicago Bar Association Record / September/October 2025 Load 6 More Speaking Engagements The 2025 Legal Ethics Year in Review: News You Can Use Holland & Knight and Adams & Reese Webinar / December 10, 2025 Legal Ethics Roundup 2025: Current Developments Every Attorney Should Know American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education / November 19, 2025 Who Controls the Future of Legal Services? 4th Annual The Legal Tech Fund (TLTF) Summit / November 13, 2025 The Information Management Age: Client Files, Data Protection and Knowledge Governance AON Law Firm Symposium 2025 / October 16, 2025 The Ethics of Legal Advertising and Marketing The Law and Ethics of New Law 2025, Practising Law Institute (PLI) / October 7, 2025 Navigating the Ethical Maze: AIs Impact on Professional Responsibility North Shore General Counsel Association / September 18, 2025 Load More + Showing 1-6 of 155 News Three Commissioners on the Evolution of Legal Professionalism, Generational Change and the Enduring Power of a Lawyers Word 2Civility / In the Headlines / December 17, 2025 Holland & Knight Advises Net Law in Strategic Partnership with Conditor Equity Press Release / December 10, 2025 Holland & Knight Legal Ethics Attorneys Comment on Growing Exploration of Law Firm PE Investment Law360 / In the Headlines / November 14, 2025 A New Group Aimed at Facilitating PE Investment in Law Firms Has One Am Law 50 Member The American Lawyer / In the Headlines / November 7, 2025 Law Firm Ownership Model Eyed for Scary Shakeup in Tennessee Bloomberg Law / In the Headlines / November 3, 2025 The Hidden Risks of Ethics-Washing: Why Legal Leaders Must Step Up Lexology PRO / In the Headlines / October 17, 2025 Load More + Showing 1-6 of 68