Joseph Rice, Lowcountry Lawyer Who Took On Big Tobacco, Dies at 72, tell me about this news in (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/09/us/joe-rice-dead.html)
09-09-2026
Joseph “Joe” F. Rice, a nationally prominent trial attorney, co-founder of the law firm Motley Rice, and major legal figure in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, died unexpectedly at the age of 72 on September 3, 2026.Here is a summary of the news and his career:Career and Major Litigation
- Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement: Rice was widely known across corporate America and the legal field as a formidable negotiator. In the late 1990s, he served as one of the lead negotiators against the nation’s major tobacco companies, securing the historic 1998 Master Settlement Agreement valued at $248 billionthe largest civil settlement in U.S. history.
- Mass Torts and High-Profile Battles: Alongside his late law partner Ronald Motley, Rice helped establish Motley Rice into one of the country’s most influential plaintiffs’ firms. Over nearly five decades in law, he played a central role in landmark mass torts, including massive asbestos injury settlements, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill litigation, civil actions for thousands of victims and families of the September 11 terrorist attacks, nationwide opioid lawsuits, and major ongoing litigation over toxic PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in drinking water.
- Reputation: Corporate defense lawyers and legal scholars often cited Rice as one of the sharpest dealmakers in American litigation, recognized for his strategic mind at the closing stages of complex class actions and multidistrict litigation.
- A native of Winnsboro, South Carolina, Rice was a graduate of the University of South Carolina (undergraduate in 1976 and law school in 1979).
- In November 2023, he made a transformative $30 million gift to his alma mater, leading the university to rename the institution the Joseph F. Rice School of Law. He also funded numerous scholarships and community initiatives throughout South Carolina.