Robert Clifford was named the 2009 Chicago Personal Injury Litigator of the Year by Best Lawyers in America, the oldest peer-review publication in the country that includes evaluations from more than 2.5 million lawyers. It designated Mr. Clifford based upon his particularly high ratings in its surveys where he earned a high level of respect among his peers for his ability, professionalism and integrity.

Robert Clifford was selected as one of the "five most respected and feared plaintiffs' attorneys in the country" by Corporate Legal Times, calling him "the best of the bad" in 2004. He was featured on the cover of the inaugural 2005 issue of Illinois Super Lawyers where they called him "Chicago's Most Likeable Tough Guy." The feature story headlined him as "Chicago's Most Feared Attorney – Bob Clifford is a lamb who turns into a lion when he's confronted by injustice." Bob Clifford is consistently named one of the top three Leading Lawyers in Illinois which represents five percent of the state's top lawyers as selected through an extensive research process including peer recommendation.

The National Law Journal named Mr. Clifford's firm on the "Plaintiffs' Hot List: 20 Go-To Teams" in 2004 as well as in 2003. He was named one of the Top Ten Litigators in Illinois in 1999 as well as one of the nation's Top Ten Litigators of 1993 by the prestigious National Law Journal. American Lawyer Media recognized Mr. Clifford as one of the Top Ten Most Influential Lawyers in Illinois in 2000. He has consistently been voted one of the Best Lawyers in America. Chicago Magazine named Robert Clifford one of Chicago's "30 Toughest Lawyers" in 2002 for his work on many high-profile cases including the death of Bob Collins, the city's most popular disc jockey on WGN morning radio. Chicago Lawyer Magazine named Clifford Law Offices the top plaintiffs' firm in the state in its topping the charts with $136.85 million in 24 settlements in 2002, was the leading firm in 2005 with settlements topping $86 million, and again led with $121 million in 2008. Robert Clifford was singled out as the leading individual attorney with the highest total dollar figure in settlements at $77.32 million in 2002.

Robert Clifford consistently garners multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts in aviation litigation. He has represented those injured or killed in every major commercial airline crash in the United States in the last two decades. He also is involved in many private or corporate jets as well as helicopter crash cases around the globe. He represents the estate of Bob Collins, Chicago's most popular morning disc jockey, who was killed when another small plane collided with his while he was attempting to land. He also represented Dick Ebersol and his family members who were involved in a chartered Challenger jet crash. He also recently settled the case on behalf of six-year-old Joshua Woods who was killed at Chicago's Midway Airport when a Southwest Airlines jet skidded off the runway and crashed into his family's car. Bob Clifford also represented the family who lost a loved one in the Chalk seaplane off the coast of Miami in December, 2005. He filed the first case in the 2006 Comair crash in Lexington, Kentucky on behalf of three adult children who lost their mother. He represented five families in the United States and Canada who lost loved ones in that tragedy.

Mr. Clifford gained national attention in the month-long trial of internationally acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton where he obtained a $30 million verdict against a commuter rail company after it closed the doors on her bags, then dragged her for some 300 feet. He obtained a $75 million settlement on behalf of some of those injured or killed when scaffolding collapsed off the John Hancock Building. Most recently, Mr. Clifford obtained a $15.8 million verdict in October, 2006, on behalf of an 18-year-old teenager who was left permanently brain damaged after a YMCA van struck her as she attempted to cross the street in a south suburb of Chicago. He represents many people who have been victims of tragedies and catastrophes in Illinois and throughout the country. He has been retained by the families of two young women who were killed separately when a Comcast cable television repairman drowned them separately in their bathtubs during a service call. He also represents a young boy who suffers permanent stomach and bowel problems after swallowing a dangerous magnetic toy. Senator Dick Durbin called for congressional hearings to investigate the protocol at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in toy safety. Mr. Clifford also represents many children and adults who have been killed at dangerous railroad crossings. In all of his work, Mr. Clifford tries to achieve justice for each family.

Recognized as a leader among his peers, Bob Clifford has been inducted into the nation's most prestigious legal organizations. In 2005, he 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 prestigious group which is comprised of outstanding 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 prominent judges, lawyers and academics from around the world who are selected on the basis of professional achievement in the law. Justice Benjamin Cardozo and Justice Learned Hand were among its early leaders.

Mr. Clifford was elected Illinois State Delegate to the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association (ABA) in 2005 and again in 2008.

He was appointed Chair of the 2009 ABA Annual Meeting that will be held in Chicago. 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. During his tenure, he hosted a Town Hall Meeting in historic Faneuil Hall in Boston on the legal aspects facing the country following the tragic events of September 11 and a second panel that discussed the public's perception of lawyers in this country. He also was appointed by the President of the ABA to serve as Chair of the Task Force on Aviation and the Law where he served in an advisory role to congressional, executive, state and local leaders on the legal ramifications in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack on America.

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 prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers and the exclusive International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He has been selected to be a member of the National Judicial College, a select assembly of legal and corporate leaders from across the country dedicated to furthering the education and training of judges. Robert Clifford was selected to participate in a select group of aviation consultants who advised the Rand Institute for Civil Justice, a California-based think tank, on the investigation process of the National Transportation Safety Board. Mr. Clifford also has been asked to sit on the Rand Institute's Board of Overseers. 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.

As an attorney representing many high-profile clients, Mr. Clifford frequently is asked to speak on television programs on a wide variety of legal issues. He has 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 regular columnist for the Chicago Lawyer on civil litigation and consumer issues each month.

Mr. Clifford endowed the first Chair on Tort Law and Social Policy to his alma mater, DePaul University College of Law. This generous gift 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. Founded in 1994, the symposium, which is free to the public, has hosted academicians from Stanford Law School to Harvard, from United States Senator John McCain to television commentator/attorney Bill Kurtis. Mr. Clifford shares his knowledge as a frequent lecturer for various bar associations and legal groups throughout the country.

Robert A. Clifford is principal partner of Clifford Law Offices, a nationally recognized personal injury law firm in Chicago concentrating in aviation, transportation, personal injury, medical negligence and product liability law.