Firm News

Clifford Law Offices has earned recognition in the Chambers USA Guide 2026, receiving rankings in the following categories: USA Nationwide: Transportation: Aviation: Litigation: Mainly Plaintiffs Illinois: Litigation: Mainly Plaintiffs The 2026 rankings recognize Clifford Law Offices’ longstanding work in complex plaintiff litigation at both the state and national levels. Since its founding in 1984, the firm has built a reputation for handling catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and aviation cases involving significant legal, technical, and factual…

Clifford Law Offices announces the addition of accomplished trial lawyer and former Illinois Appellate Court Justice Terrence J. Lavin as Of Counsel. With nearly three decades of experience in complex civil litigation and 16 years on the Illinois Appellate Court, Lavin brings a distinguished career spanning high-stakes trial advocacy, appellate decision-making, legal scholarship, and leadership within the legal profession. His arrival further strengthens the firm’s nationally recognized commitment to Righting the Heaviest Wrongs® for individuals…

Governor Bob Ferguson has described the local paper mill tragedy in Longview, Washington as the deadliest industrial tragedy in the state’s modern history. Eleven people have died, and many more may have been injured as a result of a tank explosion damaging much of a plant that released toxic fluid called white liquor, a caustic mixture used to turn wood chips into paper pulp. “It is imperative that a company provide a safe workplace,” said…

Leading aviation attorney Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, has been named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators guide for his work in aviation litigation. This marks the first time Bob has been recognized in this particular Lawdragon guide, adding to a long history of honors acknowledging his leadership in plaintiff advocacy. Now in its fifth edition, the Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators guide recognizes attorneys handling some…

Bradley M. Cosgrove, Charles R. Haskins, and Joseph T. Murphy, partners at Clifford Law Offices, obtained a $60 million result on Monday, April 13, 2026, for a woman who was rendered a paraplegic on an unsafe highway that was under construction. The case was settled shortly before trial on behalf of Sarah Grasser, 31, of Minooka, who suffered severe and permanent injuries to her spine at T-12 that left her a paraplegic. The tragedy occurred…

Sarah F. King, partner at Clifford Law Offices, has been inducted as a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL), one of the most prestigious organizations in the legal profession. Her induction was formally recognized at the Academy’s 2026 Annual Meeting, held April 8–12 in Charleston, South Carolina. The IATL is an invitation-only fellowship comprised of the world’s leading trial attorneys. With a focus on upholding and advancing the Rule of Law, the…

Kristofer S. Riddle, partner at Clifford Law Offices, obtained a total of $13,045,000 in settlements surrounding the September 25, 2021, derailment of Amtrak’s Empire Builder Train 7 outside Joplin, Montana, which was finalized on March 31, 2026. The settlement concludes the cases filed by Clifford Law Offices in the federal district court that involved the derailment of eight of Train 7’s passenger cars due to poor track conditions, including worn rail, vertical track deflection, subgrade…

Bradley M. Cosgrove, partner at Clifford Law Offices, has been selected for inclusion in The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 in the Civil Plaintiff category. A leading trial attorney whose practice focuses on complex medical malpractice, catastrophic injury, trucking, and wrongful death cases, Brad Cosgrove advocates for individuals and families harmed by negligence in some of the most challenging civil disputes in Chicago and across Illinois. Known for meticulous case preparation and skilled courtroom advocacy,…

Clifford Law Offices announces the addition of two accomplished trial attorneys to the firm. Gregory M. Beck and Scott J. Kater bring unique talent, deep litigation experience, and unwavering determination to complex, high-profile matters. Their arrival further strengthens the firm’s nationally recognized catastrophic injury practice, advancing its mission of Righting the Heaviest Wrongs® for individuals and families facing life-altering loss. Gregory M. Beck was formerly with the City of Chicago Department of Law as a…