Frederick R. (Rick) Hovde

He was born in Lafayette, Indiana on October 1, 1955. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University (B.B.A., 1977) and Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis (J.D., 1980) where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi. He was admitted to the Indiana bar in 1980.

Rick is listed in Best Lawyers in America and has been recognized as an Indiana SuperLawyer since 2004. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (2007), American College of Trial Lawyers (2000), Indiana College of Trial Lawyers (1993), Litigation Counsel of America (2009) and the Indianapolis Bar Foundation (1992). He has served on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association since 1990, the Executive Committee from 1995 to 2003, and was President during the 2002-2003 term. He is a member of the Indianapolis (Director, Young Lawyers, 1986-1989), Indiana State (Director, Young Lawyers, 1982-1986), American Bar Association, American Association for Justice and The American Board of Trial Advocates.

During his service on the executive committee of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association he served as a chairman of the legislative committee and was responsible for oversight of all of the organization's monitoring of pending bills and communication with members of the Indiana Senate and House of Representatives. In that capacity he has testified numerous times before legislative committees and authored countless position papers for distribution to legislators regarding pending legislation.

Rick has tried over 90 cases to a jury verdict and obtained maximum statutory verdicts in medical malpractice cases and several verdicts in excess of one million dollars in automobile accident products liability and insurance bad faith cases. He has handled many significant and complex construction, products liability and accident and insurance claim cases.

He has been involved in some significant appellate decisions and authored a number of articles including: State Security Ins. Co. v. Ottinger (1985) 487 N.E. 2d 446; Hinshaw v. Board of Comr's Jay Co. (1993) 611 N.E. 637; Hottinger v. Trugreen Corp. (1996) 665 N.E. 2d 593; and Kennedy v. Guess, Inc. (2002) 7765 N.E. 2d 213; Balfour v. Kimberly Home Health Care 830 NE2d 145 (2005) and Alli v. Eli Lilly and Co. 854 NE2d 372 (2006). He is the author of: Indiana: Analysis of Indiana Tort Reform, Indiana Law Review Vol. 29 No. 2, 1995; Punitive Damages ICLE 1996; Bad Faith, Indiana Trial Lawyers Assn. 1996; Litigating TMJ, Back and Neck Injury Cases, Professional Education Systems, 1993; Health Care Evidence in Low- Impact Injury, Professional Education Systems, 1992; Medical Malpractice in Indiana. NBI, 1990; and Civil Trial Practice ICLEF, 1988.