Anderson Kill, a national law firm best known for its work in insurance recovery,  has opened a new office in Dallas, Texas.

David P. Bender, Jr., a shareholder in Anderson Kill’s Ventura, CA office and member of the firm’s executive committee, will divide his time between Ventura and Dallas.  Mr. Bender concentrates his practice in insurance recovery.

To extend the firm’s capabilities in Dallas, Anderson Kill has hired Richard Y. Cheng, a solo practitioner with long experience as senior in-house counsel.  Mr. Cheng concentrates his practice in the healthcare and hospitality industries, providing counsel in regulatory matters, healthcare reform, transactional work, litigation, administrative appeals, personnel and management matters, and insurance recovery.

Anderson Kill has successfully represented many Texas-based businesses in high-stakes insurance coverage disputes, including suits concerning coverage for a mining company’s asbestos claims, an oil company’s pollution liability, business interruption, cyber liability and property damage.  Recognizing Dallas’ diverse and rapidly growing economic base, the firm is talking to companies in advanced technologies and manufacturing, as well as in the healthcare, hospitality, energy and financial services industries.

“Anderson Kill’s insurance recovery practice has long been national in scope. As Texas’s economy continues to grow and attract Fortune 500 companies, an on-the-ground presence here has become an imperative for us. We are looking forward to becoming recognized as the go-to firm for insurance recovery in the state,” said Mr. Bender.

Mr. Cheng adds versatility to Anderson Kill’s capabilities in Dallas. Prior to the launch of his own firm, RC Law PLLC, Mr. Cheng served as Vice President of Medical Appeals and General Counsel for a major long-term care service provider with more than 5,000 employees throughout Texas.  Previously, he served in a similar role at a long term care rehabilitation service provider. He is also the former First Vice President at the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel.

While in those positions, Mr. Cheng assisted with change of ownership transactions, counseled on operational legal matters and worked closely with outside counsel managing multiple litigation matters, including a large wage and hour collective action with over 2,000 putative class members. In both positions, he created medical appeals departments that successfully recovered millions of dollars in governmental and private health care insurance claims.  Before beginning his legal career, Mr. Cheng was a practicing occupational therapist for many years in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  He has published extensively on legal matters concerning the occupational therapy industry and healthcare more generally.

Mr. Cheng won the 2011 Dallas Business Journal Best Corporate Counsel Rising Star award and was recognized twice as a finalist for the D CEO Magazine/ACC best corporate counsel award. In addition, he was recognized by Texas Tech Health Sciences Center with the 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award and received the 2011 and 2012 Texas Occupational Therapy Association Distinguished Service awards.

“Richard is a terrific and versatile lawyer, well-respected in the Dallas legal community. The industries in which his practice is concentrated mesh well with Anderson Kill’s historical client base. We’re looking forward tremendously to working with him in Dallas,” said Mr. Bender.

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