Riley H. Ross III, Esquire

Philadelphia Attorney

Riley Ross has always wanted to be a lawyer. Seriously. Growing up, he always had a sense of right and wrong, fairness and justice. Today, he has achieved his dream of owning his own law practice where he can help people the only way he knows how: By fighting for their rights and ensuring that they are treated fairly. Whether it is a criminal defendant facing the overreaching power of the government, an employee harassed and unfairly terminated, a motorist unfairly detained because he fit a profile, or an everyday Joe injured because of someone else’s negligence, Attorney Ross’s clients look to him to protect them and to make sure that the law provides them with all the rights and security to which they are entitled.

Experience

Ross is an experienced trial lawyer with nearly 20 years of trial and litigation experience through his previous positions as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Norfolk, VA and as an attorney with Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C.; with Miller, Alfano & Raspanti; Drinker Biddle & Reath; and with Tucker Law Group in Philadelphia, PA.

Through these positions, he has gained extensive experience in the areas of state and federal criminal law, white collar criminal defense, civil rights litigation, corporate compliance, internal investigations, employment law, and personal injury. These areas are varied because he has represented a wide variety of clients, including individuals charged with state and federal criminal violations, a major health care provider accused of defrauding the federal government, quasi-governmental entities accused of due process violations, individuals asserting civil rights claims against cities and law enforcement officers, private and public colleges and universities defending against § 1983, employment discrimination and general liability lawsuits, and individuals asserting a variety of personal injuries.

Education & Licenses

Ross received a B.S. in Psychology from Longwood College, an M.A. in Experimental Psychology from Western Kentucky University, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia. He is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Professional & Community Involvement

He makes it a point to be an active member of the national, state, and local legal communities as a way to give back to the community. The legal community has recognized his professional activities through distinctions such as being recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® honoree each year since 2014, a “2009 Lawyers on The Fast Track,” and in 2010 and 2011 Pennsylvania Rising Stars℠. He was recently appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve on the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee. Additionally, he is a Hearing Committee Member for the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He serves on the Board of Directors of the following organizations: Defenders Association of Philadelphia (Secretary); American Civil Liberties Union – Pennsylvania (ACLU-PA); No Longer Bound; and Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers. He is also is a member of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association and serves as Vice Chair of the Board. He is an active member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association by serving as a member of the House of Delegates and as a member of the Civil and Equal Rights Committee, the Minority Bar Committee and the Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee. He is also a member of the Federal Criminal Law Committee of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; the National Police Accountability Project and the Villanova Law Inn of Courts.

Impact Cases

• Represented U.S. Congressman and his campaign committees during a federal fraud investigation and subsequent indictment.
• Negotiated a favorable settlement with the U.S. Government and avoided federal criminal charges for a small business owner being investigated for fraud.
• Represented the City of Philadelphia during federal and state investigations of a city agency facing possible criminal charges in the death of a teenager.
• Secured a not guilty jury verdict for a 28-year-old man facing federal drug conspiracy charges. In the matter of United States v. Dorsey, et al., the client was tried with six others and the trial lasted nearly four weeks. The client was facing 30 years-to-Life in federal prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years.
• Obtained a significant judgment for a client suing a sports agency for breach of contract in connection with the referral of an NFL player.
• Represented large healthcare corporation in response to U.S. Attorney’s Office investigation of fraudulent billing of federal employees.
• Represented anesthesiologist regarding an investigation by U.S. Attorney’s Office into his billing practices.

During his time as an Assistant Federal Public Defender, Attorney Ross represented Derrick Kimbrough at the trial and appellate level and achieved the favorable sentence that was at issue in the landmark Supreme Court case, Kimbrough v. U.S., 128 S. Ct. 558 (2007). Kimbrough significantly reduced the crack-powder cocaine sentencing disparity under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and helped restore judicial discretion to federal sentencing.