Rich Barker

Rich Barker is a trial lawyer and partner at Singleton Schreiber’s Northwest Office, where he seeks justice on behalf of wildfire victims, survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, and people injured in Washington and Oregon.  After more than a decade serving as a federal prosecutor – holding powerful institutions accountable and protecting the vulnerable – Mr. Barker now brings a career of courtroom expertise to bear for his clients. Mr. Barker leads the Fire Litigation practice group for Singleton Schreiber’s Northwest Office. Over his career, he has tried more than 40 cases to verdict in federal and state courts across the country.

Mr. Barker joined Singleton Schreiber in 2025 after serving as the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, where he led the prosecution of federal criminal and civil cases across twenty counties—becoming the chief federal law enforcement officer for Eastern Washington and taking on some of the largest and most complex cases in the region. In addition to prosecuting cases involving social media platforms and working with survivors of juvenile and sexual abuse, Mr. Barker oversaw the Office’s Criminal, Civil, and Appellate Divisions. During his DOJ service, Mr. Barker was widely recognized for his commitment to Tribal justice and was instrumental in hiring the first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) prosecutor for the Northwest United States. In 2024, he received a Department of Justice Director's Award for his work with Native American communities and leadership on public safety initiatives.   

Mr. Barker’s litigation and advocacy have been featured in national outlets, including The New York Times, the Daily Beast, the Washington Post, and The Guardian. Building on his experience prosecuting cases involving social media platforms, Mr. Barker now represents school districts from across Washington State, holding social media companies accountable for the mental-health crisis impacting youth across the United States. After a decade standing up for victims of violent crime, Mr. Barker now represents survivors of physical and sexual abuse in state and federal court across Washington and Oregon.

Mr. Barker previously served as a litigation associate at a major global law firm in Washington, D.C., where he represented institutional and individual clients in complex investigations and regulatory actions involving the SEC, DOJ, and other federal agencies. Mr. Barker began his legal career clerking for the Honorable G. Murray Snow of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona and the Honorable J. Clifford Wallace of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Barker currently serves as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law, where he teaches Trial Advocacy. He also serves on the Executive Committee for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Conference, where he works with appellate and district judges, as well as other legal professionals, to plan and organize the Ninth Circuit's annual judicial conference.

Department of Justice Director’s Award for Outstanding Service in Indian Country, 2024 

District of Columbia Impact Award for Outstanding Performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, 2018 

Affiliations

Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference 

WSAJ – Washington Association for Justice.

TAF Coalition - The Anti-Fraud Coalition 

At Large Member of the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference Executive Committee

Membership

Volunteer, Scouting America 

Spokane County Bar Association

News

Speaking Engagements

Press Releases

Blog Posts

Garza v. Union Pacific Corp., No. 3:25-cv-01078-NC (D. Or.) – Rowena Fire, Columbia River Gorge (2025) 

Dees v. Central Electric Cooperative, No. 6-CV-09440 Deschutes County Circuit Court (Or.) – Cram Fire (2025) 

Brooks v. BNSF Railway Co., No. 3:24-cv-05158 (W.D. Wa.) – Tunnel 5 Fire (2023) 

In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3047 (N.D. Cal.) – representing school districts from across Washington state