University of Arizona Law Alum Champion of a Different Kind of Court

University of Arizona double wildcat and James E. Rogers College of Law alumnus Rick Fried ’63 and ’66, has earned the top spot in the U.S. tennis men’s 80-year-old division, demonstrating dominance both on the court, and in court. After a series of successful showings at national tournaments over the summer, Fried finished with 8,811 points, a personal best, and more than 800 points above the second-ranked player. 

The tour consisted of four major age group tournaments including the National Indoor Singles, as well as the National Grass, Clay and Hardcourt tournaments. 

A lifelong player, Fried was captain of the University of Arizona men’s tennis team before completing his LLB at the College of Law. During this time, he famously played against Arthur Ashe, then at UCLA, losing in two nail-biting deuce sets. He continued to be a fixture in both national and international tennis circles, winning several gold, silver and bronze medals at national age group tournaments.

Fried was responsible for bringing the Federation and Davis Cups to Hawaii, as the chairman of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. In 2008, he was inducted into the USTA Hawaii Pacific Section Tennis Hall of Fame, receiving the Player Award for his outstanding competitive achievements, sportsmanship, and character. 

“Tennis is a little like litigation,” Fried told the Honolulu Advertiser in 2008 upon being inducted. “You've got to be a little competitive so you don't get walked over, and you have to do it ethically."

After being stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, Fried settled in Hawaii where he helped to found Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks, a firm specializing in personal injury litigation. Throughout his legal career he gained a national reputation in the fields of medical malpractice and aviation law and served on numerous committees and associations including as a member of the board of directors for the Hawaii State Bar Association. 

Fried has handled many of the highest profile personal injury and medical malpractice cases in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific. Most recently, his firm successfully represented the state of Hawaii, in state court, against Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi for misrepresentations made involving the drug Plavix. The trial was before a judge and conducted on zoom. The firm obtained a verdict for $834 million. (And no, that is not a typo, and we did not leave out a decimal place).   

Congratulations, Rick!