Richard J. (Rick) Byrne completed his undergraduate study at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, graduating cum laude and receiving a Business degree, with an emphasis in Marketing. While at Loras, Rick was a member of the wrestling team, elected team captain, and the team's most valuable wrestler.

Rick graduated with honors in the top 15% of his class from Drake University School of Law in 1989. While at Drake, Rick served as an editor for the Drake Law Review. While on the Drake Law Review, Rick authored two publications. One of the publications discussed the use and effectiveness of thermography in detecting the existence of soft tissue injuries, "Thermography: The Double-Edged Sword Which Can Either Corroborate Pain or Weed Out the Malingerer," 38-2 Drake Law Review, 1989. Rick was also a member of Drake's Mock Trial Team and was selected as a National Member of The Order of the Barristers. In addition, Rick taught first year law students legal research and writing in his capacity as a teaching assistant.

Upon graduating from law school, Rick practiced tort-related defense litigation with the Dallas firm of Cowles & Thompson. Rick also practiced commercial litigation with Doke & Riley.

In May of 1991, Rick joined the firm of Bishop & Hummert, P.C. where he remained until founding Ekvall & Byrne, L.L.P. While at Bishop & Hummert, P.C., Rick handled a variety of personal injury matters with an emphasis on liability of commercial transportation carriers, as well as defending personal injury and first-party claims.

Rick has tried a number of cases in the North Texas area, with an excellent trial record. Rick has defended commercial transportation carriers and their drivers, insurance carriers in connection with first-party litigation, as well as a variety of personal injury and commercial litigation lawsuits.

Rick is a member of the American, Texas, and Dallas Bar Associations, as well as the Texas Association of Defense Counsel. Rick is licensed to practice before all Texas state courts, as well as the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern Federal District Courts of Texas.

In addition to publishing two articles, Rick has spoken before various insurance industry groups and self-insured corporations on many topics, including investigation techniques, preservation of evidence, tort reform, defending soft tissue injury cases, and changes in the law.