Robert A. Clifford

Robert A. Clifford is a Chicago trial lawyer and principal partner at Clifford Law Offices. He attended DePaul University for both his undergraduate work and Juris Doctorate, finishing in 1976. The firm was founded in 1984 to represent plaintiffs in personal injury and wrongful death cases.

Legal Practice

Aviation law is an important practice area for Clifford Law Offices and for Clifford in particular. He has represented people in most major commercial crashes in the last 30 years. Mr. Clifford was chosen to be part of a select group of aviation attorneys to advise the RAND Institute for Civil Justice, a California-based research think-tank. Its mission: to study the investigative process of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the government arm that oversees investigations of major transportation accidents in the air, on the rails or at sea. He and partner Kevin Durkin also were appointed to the Aviation Law Institute at DePaul University College of Law, an Advisory Board on aviation matters composed of lawyers and experts from around the world.

Notable Cases

• Rachel Barton Pine, an internationally acclaimed violinist, was dragged almost 300 feet along the tracks of a commuter rail train when the doors of the train closed on her bags, pinning her to the doors. Clifford Law Offices secured a $29.6 million jury verdict on her behalf. After appeals, the final amount paid out was $35 million.^[1]
• Clifford Law Offices obtained a $75 million settlement for the victims injured when the scaffolding collapsed at the John Hancock Building in Chicago.^[2]
• September 11 Attacks on the World Trade Center: Robert Clifford and Timothy Tomasik, partners at Clifford Law Offices, served as Liaison Counsel for all property damage claims arising from the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, when two Boeing 767 jets slammed into the 110-story steel structures.
• Alaska Airlines Flight 261: In 2000, this flight crashed into the Pacific Ocean killing all 88 people. Clifford Law obtained $40.1 million for the families they represented.
• American Eagle Flight 4184: In 1994, this flight crashed near Roselawn, Indiana, killing all 68 people aboard. Clifford Law Offices served as lead counsel, representing sixteen families. The case was settled for $110 million.

Professional Recognition

In 2005, Clifford was inducted into the International Society of Barristers, an honor society of outstanding trial lawyers chosen by their peers on the basis of excellence and integrity in advocacy. The Inner Circle of Advocates also invited Mr. Clifford to join its ranks, which are composed of noteworthy trial attorneys from across the country who share their expertise and ideas. He also was elected to the American Law Institute, a group of 3,000 judges, lawyers, and academics from around the world who are selected on the basis of professional achievement in the law.

Clifford was elected Illinois State Delegate to the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association (ABA) in 2005. In 2006, he was appointed Chair of the Strategic Communications Committee. He also was elected Chair of the Section of Litigation from 2001-2002 where he led the largest section, numbering some 70,000 lawyers.

Clifford is the 2011-2012 President of the Chicago Bar Association. He is past President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and a past President of the Chicago Inn of Court, which upholds the highest of principles of the profession. He has been inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and is a member of the National Judicial College. He was appointed a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Civility, which was established to discover and promote appropriate ways to promote civility among Illinois lawyers.

Awards

• Ten for Ten, Ten Attorneys Who Raised the Bar Over the Last Decade, January 2010, Chicago Law Bulletin Publishing Company
• Best Lawyers’ 2009 Chicago Personal Injury Litigator of the Year
• Plaintiffs’ Hot List: Twenty-five Go-to Teams For When the Going Gets Tough, The National Law Journal, July 21, 2003, July 26, 2004
• Thirty Toughest Lawyers, Chicago Magazine, March, 2002
• Top Ten Most Influential Attorneys in Illinois, American Research Corporation, 2000
• Top Ten Lawyer in Illinois, National Law Journal, 1999
• Who's Who in American Law, 1985 – present
• The Best Lawyers in America, National Law Journal, 1993–present
• Top Ten Litigator, National Law Journal, 1993
• Leading Attorney in Illinois, American Research Corporation, 1995–2001

Robert A. Clifford in the Media

From time to time, Clifford is asked to speak on television programs on a wide variety of legal issues. He or his clients have appeared on Oprah, Good Morning America, the Today show, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Power Lunch, Wall Street Week, and Chicago Tonight. He also has authored articles for national newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times and The National Law Journal and he is a monthly columnist for the Chicago Lawyer, writing on civil litigation issues.

Clifford Endowed Chair on Tort Law and Social Policy

Clifford endowed the first Chair on Tort Law and Social Policy to his alma mater, De Paul University College of Law. This provides for an annual symposium where academicians, lawyers and judges from across the country gather to speak on a timely topic of interest dealing with the relationship between tort law, popular culture and societal needs.

References

1. ^ Jon Hilkevitch Ben Grove, Tribune staff writers, "Violinist's Love Nearly Causes Her Death - Instrument Case Pulls Woman Under Train", Chicago Tribune, Jan. 17, 1995, "[1]", July 20, 2010
2. ^ Lorene Yue, "Hancock Lawsuits Settled", Chicago Tribune, Feb. 2, 2006, "[2]", July 20, 2010

3. ^"U.S. News - Best Lawyers - Clifford Law Offices." U.S. News - Best Lawyers Best Law Firms. US News & World Report LP. Web.   8 June 2011. <http://bestlawfirms.usnews.com/firms/clifford-law-offices/overview/7486/>.
4. ^http://www.superlawyers.com/illinois/lawyer/Robert-A-Clifford/694d9a56-c43a-4125-b415-77f1b4b4fe44.html