Joseph F. Rich

Member

Recent Publication:

State Specific Series – Kansas: There’s No Place Like Home [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

Location, location, location! The viability of a subrogation case will vary depending on the loss location. The combination of law and fact in one state can yield subrogation potential, whereas in another that mix can be detrimental. Each State has varying rules that impact subrogation potential,...

Joe has spent his entire career as a practicing attorney at Cozen O’Connor, where he serves as chair, technology & innovation for the Subrogation & Recovery Department. In this position, Joe assists with implementation of new technologies, applications, and workflows for the firm’s Subrogation & Recovery Department. He also co-hosts the Subrogation & Recovery Department’s podcast, “Subro on the Go,” in which he and others spotlight trending issues, new cases impacting the subrogation industry, and overall best practices. Joe is also co-chair of the department's Tech Toys & Products Task Force.

Joe has been helping insurance clients make recoveries for 20 years, employing a mix of hard work, dedication, and creativity to achieve the best possible result. He has represented property insurers in a wide variety of subrogation matters arising out of fires, water releases, product failures, mechanical system failures, roofing failures, and construction defects.

Joe assists clients by developing creative pre-suit methods to achieve recoveries, as well as cost-effective and targeted strategies for successful litigation, mediation, and arbitration of claims. He has extensive experience as lead counsel in the full gamut of recovery matters, from significant construction defect cases involving improper roofing and re-roofing projects for condominiums and commercial buildings, to product liability cases against manufacturers of lithium batteries, consumer electronics, and a variety of plumbing components and related systems. In addition to his experience practicing within the contiguous United States, Joe has litigated subrogation matters and general litigation matters in federal court in Puerto Rico. He is also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court and County Court mediator. 

Promoting the benefits of and advancing the education and policy interests of the subrogation industry are important to Joe. He is actively involved in the National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP), including currently serving as treasurer on the Executive Committee of NASP’s board of directors. He has presented at NASP’s Annual Conferences since 2012 and co-chaired NASP’s 2018 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. Joe earned his Certified Subrogation Recovery Professional (CSRP) designation through NASP in 2019. Through these activities, Joe has developed and strengthened relationships with colleagues and service providers in the subrogation industry.

Experience

News

Joe Rich Elected Treasurer, Board of Directors of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals

October 12, 2023

MIAMI, October 12, 2023 — Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce that Joseph Rich, a member of the firm’s Subrogation & Recovery Department, has been elected to serve as treasurer on the board of directors of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP).

Subrogation Lawyers See Challenges In Florida Tort Reform

April 12, 2023

Joseph F. Rich was quoted in a Law360 article discussing the important changes to Florida’s tort laws.

Goodman and Rich Complete Mediation Certification

August 03, 2022

Joshua R. Goodman and Joseph F. Rich completed training and certification to be Civil Circuit and County mediators in the state of Florida.

Act Fast to Preserve Evidence When Subrogating Water Damage Claims

March 11, 2022

Joseph Rich was quoted in the Claims Journal article discussing the process of subrogating water damage.

Joe Rich Selected To Serve as Secretary on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals

October 05, 2021

Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce that Joseph Rich, member of the firm’s Subrogation & Recovery Department, has been selected by the board of directors of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP) to serve as secretary on the board’s Executive Committee.

Cozen O’Connor Promotes Eight New Shareholders

August 20, 2018

Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce the promotion of eight members to shareholders: Marc Auberbach, Jonathan Grossman, Aaron Krauss, Daniel J. Luccaro, Barbara Muller, Joseph F. Rich, Nicole Sprinzen, and Paula Zecchini.

Publications

State Specific Series – Kansas: There’s No Place Like Home [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

October 15, 2024

Location, location, location! The viability of a subrogation case will vary depending on the loss location. The combination of law and fact in one state can yield subrogation potential, whereas in another that mix can be detrimental. Each State has varying rules that impact subrogation potential,...

State Specific Series – Louisiana: Let the Good Subro Times Roll [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

July 02, 2024

The viability of a subrogation case will vary depending on the loss location and the facts.  The combination of law and fact in one state can yield subrogation potential, whereas in another that mix can be detrimental. Each of the States have varying rules that impact subrogation potential,...

State Specific Series – The Great State of Utah – The Beehive State [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

May 13, 2024

Subrogation professionals who handle losses in multiple states know that the viability of a subrogation case will vary depending on the loss location. The facts of a particular incident may have subrogation potential in one state, but not in another, as each state has varying rules that impact...

Do the Recent Amendments to Florida’s Negligence Statute of Limitations Affect Product Liability Actions? [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

February 05, 2024

On March 24, 2023, Florida reduced the Statute of Limitations for negligence claims from 4 years to 2 years for any negligence causes of action arising after the amendment went into effect on that date. Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4)(a); see also Florida House Bill 837,...

Subro New Year’s Resolutions [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

January 30, 2024

Happy New Year to all of our fellow subrogation friends!  Many of us use the start of the New Year to create personal New Year’s Resolutions.  These resolutions are not limited to our personal lives.  In this episode of Subro on the Go, regular co-hosts David Brisco and Joe Rich are joined by...

Chasing Checks: End of the Year Tips and Tricks [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

October 31, 2023

It’s that time of the year again! As the MLB World Series is underway, subrogation professionals are also gearing up for their own playoff run to reach their year-end goals, getting ready for end of the year mediations and looking to resolve those lingering pre-litigation cases with outstanding...

AI’s Evolution and What it Means for Subro [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

August 16, 2023

What is the day to day practice of subrogation going to look like in 5-6 years, or better yet, 5-6 months?  Artificial Intelligence (AI) is hitting the world by storm, with all industries working to determine the role AI will play.  For the subrogation industry, technology has played an...

Florida’s Fast & Furious Tort Law Changes [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

April 26, 2023

In the first quarter of 2023, the Florida Legislature made three major changes to the Statute of Limitations for negligence claims, comparative fault rules in negligence cases, and the Statute of Repose for improvements to real property. In this episode, David Brisco (San Diego) interviews his...

Fast & Furious Tort Law Changes, Part 2: Shorter Statute of Repose for Improvements [Alert]

April 18, 2023

Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law Senate Bill 360, known as “An act relating to causes of action based on three improvements to real property.”

Fast & Furious Tort Law Changes in Florida [Alert]

March 30, 2023

House Bill 837, “Civil Remedies,” focuses on bad faith litigation and attorney’s fee awards, and makes two important changes for negligence cases.

HorseCents – An Intro to Equine Subro Claims [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

March 14, 2023

Subrogation involving horses? Yes, this is a real thing. In this episode, regular co-hosts, David Brisco (San Diego) and Joe Rich (Miami), are joined by their partner, Suzanne Radcliff (Dallas), who provides an overview of this niche area of subrogation to listeners. In addition to some bad horse...

Explosive Subro: The Unique Challenges of Investigating Explosion Cases [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

January 25, 2023

Do not let your subro claim blow up in your face! Subro professionals who have handled large explosion fires know firsthand that large explosion cases are complex, with significant hurdles to fully process. In this episode of Subro on the Go, regular co-hosts Joe Rich and David Brisco are joined...

Turkeys and Trees: Subro Holiday Stories [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

November 21, 2022

Whether it is a turkey fryer that causes an unexpected cooking fire, or mishaps with trees and decorations that make the holidays literally go up in smoke, holiday related losses are common for subrogation professionals this time of year. So while it is the season to be joyful and hum along with...

Looking North: An Introduction to Subrogating in Canada [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

October 12, 2022

In our current episode, co-host, Joe Rich, speaks with some of our Canadian Litigators about the differences in pursuing subrogation claims in Canada versus the U.S. Joe is joined by Pamela Pengelley, Office Managing Counsel of our Firm’s Toronto Office, and David Huard, Office Managing Counsel for...

Time is Money: Understanding Statutes of Limitations and Statutes of Repose [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

August 16, 2022

Time is money in the subrogation industry.  And knowing the timeframes of when you can pursue recovery claims is an important first step in evaluating your case, including determining the scope of your early investigation.  Whether you can or cannot bring a claim due to a pre-determined timeframe...

SubroSpeed Analytics Platform: Roads? Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Roads [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

June 07, 2022

In the latest episode, co-hosts, David Brisco and Joe Rich, are joined by Dan D’Imperio, Co-Director of National Subrogation Services, to discuss the role of Predictive Analytics in the subrogation industry. Like in Back to the Future when Doc. Brown shows up at the end of the movie with a...

A New Tool for Tracking Independent Contractors in Florida [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

April 14, 2022

At one time or another, most subrogation professionals have struggled to track down an actual or alleged independent contractor involved with some scope of work relating to a loss. In some cases, we also find that defenses are being raised that someone was an independent contractor versus a direct...

Two Years of Remote Litigation & Beyond [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

April 06, 2022

It’s been two years since COVID-19 not only radically changed our daily lives but altered how recovery professionals approach litigating claims. Yes, two years have passed! In the first few months of the pandemic, courts, litigators and recovery professionals quickly adapted to use readily...

Ocean and Inland Marine Claims – An Introduction for the Subro Professional [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

January 18, 2022

COGSA, Carmack, Allisons, and Himalaya Clause.  These terms may not mean much for a traditional property subrogation professional, but if you are going to diversify into the world of ocean marine and inland marine subro, then these are a few of the many terms you will need to become familiar with....

Telling Our Stories: The Importance of Photos and Videos in Subrogation [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

October 21, 2021

Every subrogation case is, at its heart, a story about a loss event. As subrogation professionals, we endeavor to tell a story of the loss event and resulting damages in the most effective way possible, using photos and videos as our tools to explain liability and damages issues. Ultimately, we use...

Internet of Things and Subro Update – Where Are We Now? [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

September 07, 2021

Smart smoke detectors, vehicle data on key fobs, and geofencing are just a few of the new internet of things technologies emerging today. Subrogation professionals need to be aware of this ever-growing industry, including what new sources of data it provides to the subro investigation and what new...

Notice Rules and Tort Caps in Claims Against Government Entities [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

July 07, 2021

Government tort claims come in a variety of shapes and sizes – broken city water main floods, bridge collapses, dam failures, government vehicles crashing into your insured’s building, etc. And just as the types of losses vary, so do the requirements regarding both placing the government entity on...

Requiring an Expert to Have Experience with the Specific Product at Issue is “Too High” a Standard [Alert]

May 26, 2021

Joe Rich discusses the 11th Circuit's decision in Moore v. Intuitive Surgical Inc.

Aggravation Time is Not Money in Florida [Alert]

September 29, 2020

Joe Rich and Rick Maleski discuss the 4th District Court of Appeals in Florida's decision in P&G Trucking of Brandon, Inc., et. al. v. Riverland Hedging & Topping, Inc. et. al.

Five Mile Swamp Fire [Alert]

May 15, 2020

Joe Rich discusses the Five Mile Swamp Fire, including location, property impacted, and it's status.

Events & Seminars

Upcoming Events

Insurance Coverage Mediation Strategies & Techniques

December 10, 2024 - Webinar

Joseph F. Rich will present the webinar “Insurance Coverage Mediation Strategies & Techniques” for the Florida Defense Lawyers Association.

Past Events

NASP 2024 Annual Conference

October 27, 2024 - Phoenix, AZ

Generative AI Best Practices for Law Firms

September 05, 2024 - Chicago, IL

2024 NASP Spring Conference

March 21, 2024 - Hershey, PA

Complex Claims & Litigation Forum 2024

February 27, 2024 - Las Vegas, NV

NASP 2023 Annual Conference

November 05, 2023 - Colorado Springs, CO

Florida HB 837

April 06, 2023 - Webinar

NASP 2023 Spring Conference

February 16, 2023 - Amelia Island, FL

NASP 2022 Annual Conference

November 06, 2022 - Marco Island, FL

NASP 2021 Annual Conference

November 08, 2021 - Virtual Conference

Industry Sectors

Education

  • Villanova University School of Law, J.D., 2003
  • Le Moyne College, B.A., summa cum laude, 2000
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • U.S. Dist. Ct. Puerto Rico
  • U.S. District Court -- District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court -- Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court -- Northern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court -- Southern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court -- New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court -- Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court -- Puerto Rico

Honorable John A. Terry, U.S. District Court -- District of Columbia Court of Appeals

  • Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court and County Court Mediator
  • Board of Directors, National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP)
  • Member, Dade County Bar Association
  • Former Member, Florida Bar Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee "A", 11th Judicial Circuit for Miami-Dade County