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History
Our firm’s history traces back to 1983, when seven lawyers from a major Washington firm decided to launch their own practice. Stu Ross, Gary Dixon, and Skip Masback had established their reputations in the field of insurance litigation, and particularly in the area of directors’ and officers’ liability. (In fact, Stu Ross handled the first litigated “D&O” case in history, Bird v. Penn Central Company.) All three had deep ties to their existing firm, but they felt that starting fresh would enable them to develop their practice more effectively and to build a new firm that reflected their values. Ross, Dixon & Masback opened its doors in November 1983.
The Founding Vision
The founders had a clear vision from the start. There was complete trust among them, and they were adamant that strong relationships would constitute the core of their new organization. To ensure the finest representation possible and to nurture a spirit of teamwork, every client would be a client of the entire firm -- and every lawyer would be responsible for every client. There would also be open discussion about firm matters, and important issues would be decided by consensus among the partners. It was further agreed that the firm would be dedicated to community service and maintain a strong portfolio of pro bono matters. Finally, everyone at the firm would be treated with courtesy and respect. Warmth and civility would be hallmarks of the new organization, no matter how big or how busy it became.
Nurtured by a steady flow of work, the firm grew rapidly during the 1980s. RDM was now servicing a number of major insurance companies in America, along with a portfolio of other important businesses. To meet the needs of its growing roster of clients, the firm brought in a number of highly talented attorneys from the Department of Justice and other government agencies and firms, bolstering its already formidable motion, trial, and appellate practices.
RDB’s Second Office, Orange County, Opens
In 1993 the firm opened a second office, in Orange County, California, just south of Los Angeles in Irvine. The Orange County office facilitated the handling of the firm's numerous West Coast matters and the development of more business in the western United States.
San Diego Merger Produces RDB’s Third Office
With continued expansion and an increase in commercial litigation matters during the mid-1990s, the possibility of a merger developed. RDM had long enjoyed a strong relationship with the top San Diego litigation boutique of Miller, Boyko & Bell, and particularly with founding partner Roy Bell, who had worked closely with RDM lawyers on disputes stemming from the failure of Beverly Hills Savings & Loan -- at the time, the largest savings and loan collapse in U.S. history.
After discussing a merger for several years, the two firms decided in August 1998 to join forces. Their goals were to maintain a sophisticated and challenging insurance practice, to continue developing a top-flight commercial litigation practice, and to build on the outstanding transactional practice established at Miller, Boyko & Bell. On January 1, 1999, Ross, Dixon & Masback became Ross, Dixon & Bell, reflecting the two firms’ merger and the earlier departure of founder Skip Masback, who had decided to leave the law to become an ordained minister.
Chicago Office Opens
RDB’s fourth office opened in Chicago in June 2000. The office began with five lawyers and, under the leadership of partner Rebecca Ross, grew to 24 lawyers and 19 staff in less than five years. As a result of this expansion, the firm moved to new offices in January 2005, located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, in the heart of The Loop, and minutes from Chicago’s famed Magnificent Mile. View the ‘virtual tour’ of RDB’s Chicago office.
RDB Today
In the years since the firm opened, RDB has enjoyed tremendous growth and our success can be attributed to our strong base of institutional clients, employees who are committed and entrepreneurial, and the firm’s sustained dedication to the principles upon which it was founded. Today, RDB enjoys a national reputation for litigation and counseling in the fields of insurance and commercial litigation, and maintains a number of other practices servicing a multitude of industries, including insurance, professional services, media, golf, and real estate.
RDB’s attorneys continue to look to the future, but they remain vigilant about preserving the core values of the institution they’ve built. According to founding partner Stu Ross: “We must constantly remind ourselves of the reasons we're here -- the exciting practice, the fun, the friends.”
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