Richard M. Gaal
In over twenty-five years of practice, Mr. Gaal has handled a variety of complex bankruptcy, business, and commercial litigation cases. Among this history of diverse cases are significant Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases representing creditors, unsecured creditors committees, debtors-in-possession, and trustees, including in one of the largest cases filed in Federal Bankruptcy Court in Alabama by publicly traded entities and affiliates.
Over the years, Mr. Gaal has also successfully tried scores of jury and bench trials in federal and state courts, handled class certification hearings, and argued hundreds of contested matters and adversary proceedings in federal bankruptcy courts in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Mr. Gaal is admitted to practice in Alabama and Florida and regularly practices in these states and is regularly admitted pro hac vice in other jurisdictions.
Mr. Gaal approaches each case dedicated to providing the type of service he would expect as a client: good judgment, hard work, an excellent work product, practical use of all client resources, and consistent communication.
He and his wife, Terri, are parents to three sons. Mr. Gaal enjoys traveling with his family, playing golf, and generally being outdoors.
- American Bar Association, Alabama Member of the ABA House of Delegates (2022 to the present)
- American Bar Association Section of Litigation
- Council Member 2020-2023
- Managing Director-Designate for Vice Chair Larry Kristinik
- Member of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of Council (2020-2023)
- Co-Chair, Mental Health and Wellness Task Force, 2018-2020 (Member 2017-2018, 2020-2021)
- Advisory Committee 2018
- Co-Chair, Mass Torts Committee 2015 to 2018
- Co-Chair, Products Liability Committee 2012 to 2015
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- Active Member
- The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation
- Fellow
- Alabama Defense Lawyers Association
- Board of Directors, Young Lawyers Section, 2002 – 2004
- Mobile Bar Association
- Member
- Alabama State Bar
- Member of the Disciplinary Rules Committee, 2009 to 2021
- Alabama State Bar
- Member Since 1997
- Florida Bar
- Member Since 2009
- Christ Church Cathedral
- Member of the Vestry, 2023 to the present
- University of Mobile
- Member of Board of Trustees, January 1, 2013 to 2021 (Vice-Chair of the Board 2019-2020; Secretary 2018-2019)
- Chair of the Academic, Student Life, and Enrollment Committee, 2016-2021; Member in 2022-2023
- Member of the Presidential Search Committee, 2015-2016
- McKemie Place Homeless Shelter for Women
- President, 2015-2016
- Board Member, 2010-2016
- Reese’s Senior Bowl
- Committee Member (including Practice Subcommittee), August 14, 2013 to present
- Mobile Touchdown Club
- President, 2016-2017
- St. Luke’s Episcopal School
- Chancellor, June 1, 2002 to July 1, 2016
- Sequestration of Witnesses – A Case Study, ABA Pre-Trial Practice and Discovery Newsletter (Fall 2005)
- Early Dismissal of Price Discrimination Cases Under the Robinson-Patman Act, For the Defense (October 2004)
- Developing Good Trial Skills, Tips for Young Trial Lawyers, ABA Product Liability Committee Newsletter (Summer 2004)
- Reliance, More Than a Procedural Stepping-Stone in Interest-Sensitive Life Insurance Class Actions, 74 Tulane Law Review 2113 (2000)
- Comment, Equitable Tolling of Internal Revenue Code Section 6511, 27 Cumberland Law Review 296 (1997)
- Presenter, ABA Joint Regional CLE, Snowmass, Colorado, January 31, 2020, “Waive Goodbye & What to do After a Privilege Waiver.”
- Moderator, ABA Section Annual Conference Panel, New York, New York, 2019, “Balancing A Lawyer’s Cry for Help from Dependency and Depression with Ethical Obligations of Reporting and Competence.”
- Moderator, ABA Section of Litigation Joint Annual Meeting, Snowmass, Colorado, January 29-31, 2015, “Trial Tips for Young Lawyers: Trying Your First Case.”
- Speaker, ABA Section of Litigation Joint Annual Meeting, Steamboat, Colorado, January 29-31, 2013, “Products Liability Committee Breakout Session, 2012 Year-in-Review.”
- Moderator & Speaker, ABA Section of Litigation Joint Annual Meeting, Snowmass, Colorado, January 11, 2008, “Products Liability Committee Breakout Session, 2007 Year-in-Review.”
- Speaker, ABA Newsletter & Web Editors Symposium, Chicago, Illinois, September 29, 2006, “Developing Content for Newsletters.”
- Speaker, Civil Litigation Update, Sponsored by Samford University, Cumberland School of Law, December 6, 2005, “New Concerns in Pre-Trial Discovery.”
- Speaker, Civil Litigation Update, Sponsored by Samford University, Cumberland School of Law, December 10, 2004, “ABA Model Rules of Professional Responsibility on Mediation & Settlement Negotiations: Potential New Rules of the Game.”
- Chair, Civil Litigation Update, Sponsored by Samford University, Cumberland School of Law, December 18, 2003