WASHINGTON, DC - Wiley Rein recently announced that Richard A. Simpson has joined the firm as a partner in its prominent Insurance Practice. Simpson, a leading practitioner in the professional liability field, advises insurers in major matters arising under legal malpractice policies and serves as litigation counsel when coverage disputes arise under legal malpractice policies. He also regularly defends law firms accused of malpractice at both the trial court and appellate levels. Simpson joins Wiley Rein from Ross, Dixon & Bell LLP.

Prior to entering private practice, Simpson was an Attorney-Adviser in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. He also served as a top attorney on the staffs of two Independent Counsels investigating alleged wrongdoing by senior government officials. For the past several years, he has been an adjunct instructor in trial advocacy at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Professional Liability Practice chair Daniel J. Standish commented, "Rick is an outstanding member of the legal malpractice bar and we welcome him to Wiley Rein. A first-rate addition to our team, Rick broadens and deepens our capabilities in providing representation on significant cases involving lawyers' liability, both as defense and insurer counsel."

Simpson earned his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he graduated first in his class. Upon receiving his degree, he clerked for the Honorable John D. Butzner, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He can be reached at 202.719.7314 or rsimpson@wileyrein.com.