Ricardo was born June 13, 1976, in Miami, Florida. He earned his undergraduate degree in only three years at the University of Miami (B.A. cum laude 1997) and his Juris Doctorate at Yale Law School (J.D. 2000) where he was the William S. Beinecke Scholar. While a law student, Ricardo was a director of Yale's renown clinical program. He served on the Board of Directors of the Latino Law Students Association, and was an editor of the Yale Journal of International Law. Before joining the firm, Ricardo served as a law clerk to the Honorable James Lawrence King on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He joined the firm in 2002 and was named a partner in 2006.

Although much of Ricardo's practice involves personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability cases with a focus on aviation litigation, he also handles admiralty and commercial matters. Ricardo has represented victims of many commercial aviation disasters including Comair Flight 5191, Lexington, Kentucky, 2006; Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101, Miami Beach, Florida, 2005; Helios Airways Flight 2U522, Cyprus, 2005, Tropical Air Flight 1301, Haiti, 2003; Scandinavian Airlines Flight 686, Milan, Italy, 2001; TAESA Airlines Flight 725, Mexico, 1999; and Silk Air Flight MI 185, between Jakarta and Singapore, 1997. He also handles numerous general aviation cases including fixed wing and rotary aircraft.

Ricardo has authored and published work for the Association of Trial Lawyers of America's Aviation Section. The Miami Herald, the Sun-Sentinel, and the Daily Business Review have interviewed and quoted him with reference to aviation law and his trial successes. Currently, he is Co-Chair of the Aviation and Space Law Committee of the American Bar Association. He has lectured for various bar organizations and has served on the faculty of the Al J. Cone Trial Advocacy Institute presented by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers.

Ricardo speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese.