About Richard L.
Richard L. Dickson earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 1990, receiving a B.A. in Psychology with a specialization in Decision Sciences. He stayed at Stanford for law school and received his J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1994. Those years on the Farm and in Stanford Law’s classrooms established a foundation in empirical thinking and legal analysis.
After law school he began practicing in California. He is admitted to the California bar and has built his career at Fenwick & West LLP. Public records list his association with that firm; his time there has placed him inside a large, multidisciplinary practice rather than a small boutique setting.
Dickson’s academic background gives him a particular way of looking at problems. The training in decision sciences and psychology surfaces in how he frames issues, weighs trade-offs and communicates options to clients. He tends to favor clear, methodical argumentation. That approach shows up in how he handles facts and constructs legal positions.
Colleagues describe him as someone who moves between detailed analysis and practical decision-making. He is comfortable translating complex information into concrete steps. Over the course of his career he has worked on matters that require careful judgment and coordinated work across teams. He has practiced in a state with a large and varied commercial bar, and that environment has influenced the kinds of matters he handles.
Outside of firm work, his Stanford education remains a touchstone. The combination of psychology and law suggests an interest in how incentives and choices shape outcomes. It also suggests an attention to the mechanics of problem-solving rather than to abstract theory alone. As of 2026 he remains active in California, practicing at Fenwick & West LLP and concentrating on legal matters handled from the firm’s California offices.
