Richard Arnold Cook

I am committed to working with you to obtain the best possible resolution for your case and stand ready to vigorously represent your interests in a prompt professional manner. I am committed to representing the interests of those who have been injured or wronged by acts of another person or corporation.

Since entering private practice, I have handled a wide range of matters including matters involving claims of personal injury, breach of contract, defamation, sexual harassment claims, employment disputes, construction related injury claims, civil rights claims, and breach of contract matters relating to construction disputes.

I graduated from Purdue University in 1979 from the Krannert School of Business with a Bachelor of Science Degree in the Economic Honors program. In 1982, I graduated 15th in my class from the Valparaiso University School of Law.

After graduation from law school, I began working as a law clerk for the Honorable Andrew P. Rodovich, who served as a Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana in Hammond, Lake County Indiana. I worked for Magistrate-Judge Rodovich on a wide array of cases involving environmental litigation, serious personal injury claims, civil rights claims, preliminary injunctions, and complex criminal pretrial motions. I had a chance to see some of the best civil and criminal trial attorneys in trial and I dealt with a broad and diverse range of legal issues.

Following my service as a law clerk, I work as a Deputy Prosecutor for the Lake County Prosecutor's Office for Jack Crawford. I tried a number of jury trials which encompassed crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, OWI causing death, confinement, and included one capital murder case.

From there, I went on to serve as a federal prosecutor as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana in South Bend, Indiana Division. There I handled a number of complex criminal matters encompassing crimes such as conspiracy, counterfeiting, mail fraud, wire fraud, illegal drug manufacturing, racketeering, and murder for hire. While with the U.S. Attorney's Office, I earned a number of commendations for my work as a federal prosecutor. These commendations included the receipt of a personal letter of commendation from the United States Attorney General Dick Thornburg and a Special Award from the Post Master General for my work in prosecuting an elaborate altered postal money order scheme which was operated within the Indiana State Prison system. This scheme was used to bilk the public out of millions of dollars and financed a number of illegal enterprises inside the Indiana Prison system.

I left the U.S. Attorney's office in 1989 and spent the next 17 years doing primarily civil defense and plaintiff's work in a wide range of areas including claims involving wrongful death, products liability, burn injuries, construction site injuries, automobile collisions, libel-slander, environmental torts, civil rights, employment related issues, real estate disputes, and insurance coverage issues.

This experience is invaluable in helping you in helping develop your case's strengths and identifying potential weaknesses and avoiding potential pitfalls. Having worked on both side of a number of issues, I can assist you in avoiding mistakes which could hamper you as an injury victim from making a full and fair recovery.

I am admitted to practice in all Indiana courts, as well as the United States District Courts located in the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago, Illinois. I am a member of the American Bar Association and its Litigation Section.

I am AV rated by my legal peers through Martindale-Hubbell. An AV Peer Review Rating shows that a lawyer has reached the height of professional excellence. He or she has usually practiced law for many years, and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity.

 *CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories - legal ability and general ethical standards