Robert J. Gilliland, Jr.

Bar / Professional Activity

• Mr. Gilliland is a member of the Riverside County Bar Association, the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Consumer Attorneys of California, the Desert Bar Association and the Inns of Court. He is also a member of the both the California and Colorado Bar Associations. 
• Past President of the Desert Bar Association
• Trustee of the Desert Bar Association ("DBA")
• Member, Consumer Attorneys of California

Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)

• Mr. Gilliland obtained an $800,000.00 settlement on behalf of his client against a developer of a project (confidential settlement).  , 2009
• Mr. Gilliland obtained a $245,000.00 settlement against a pool contractor on behalf of a homeowner., 2011
• Mr. Gilliland obtained a $2,773,805.00 jury verdict against a large civil engineering firm, Stantec Consulting Corporation and a settlement of $599,000 from the project developer the day before the trial commenced. Following the one week jury trial, the jurors voted 12-0 in favor of Gilliland's client, the Paseo Vista Homeowners Association. Gilliland's client was awarded 100% of its damages. Defendant Stantec's final settlement offer prior to trial was only $15,000.00!    , 2013
• In 2008, Mr. Gilliland obtained a $1.2 million dollar binding arbitration verdict in the matter of Schwartz v. Stradella Investments, Inc. JAMS Case #1220036415 and Riverside County Superior Court case # INC076493. In 2009, Mr. Gilliland also obtained a confidential $17.2 Million Dollar settlement on behalf of his clients., 2008
• Mr. Gilliland obtained a $700,000.00 settlement on behalf of his HOA client against a Developer regarding construction defects., 2010
• Mr. Gilliland obtained a $2,000,000.00 settlement against the builder of a custom single family home., 2012
• Mr. Gilliland obtained a $252,850.00 settlement plus extensive repairs to the subject home against the Defendants. (confidential settlement)., 2010
• Mr. Gilliland obtained a $4,000,000.00 judgment along with a settlement of $700,000.00 against a developer of an HOA.  , 2012
• Gilliland's client received a favorable binding arbitration award related to a partnership dispute between 2 doctors. The parties subsequently settled and entered into a confidential settlement agreement. , 2013

Representative Clients

• Several high profile clients., 2020

Transactions

• Drafted real estate construction contracts for high profile and celebrity clients., 2020

Special Licenses / Certifications

• Member of the California State Bar, 1990
• Member of the Colorado State Bar, 2000

Pro bono / Community Service

• Mr. Gilliland is a Board Member of the Palm Springs Air Museum and a Board Member of the March Field Air Museum., 2015
• Mr. Gilliland is a Board Member of the San Diego Air & Space Museum., 2020
• Mr. Gilliland and his law firm successfully defended two hot air balloon companies "pro bono" who were sued by Plaintiff JCM Farming, Inc. in Thermal, California. The case was dismissed against the balloonists and the balloonists in turn pursed their recovery of costs and attorneys fees against the Plaintiff. This high profile case received substantial local, national and international media coverage due to its impact on the aviation and ballooning industry. The case was entitled JCM Farming, Inc. v. Balloon Above the Desert and filed at the Riverside County Superior Court, Indio Branch., 2011
• Mr. Gilliland is a Board Member of the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California., 2009

Educational Background

• Claremont McKenna College - BA Economics/Political Science

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

• Mr. Gilliland has participated as a panel speaker on many legal seminars during the course of his law practice., Panel Speaker, Civil Litigation Seminar, The Desert Trial Academy, 2013

Other Outstanding Achievements

• Mr. Gilliland has served as an expert witness in disputes between parties. In 2017, he served as an expert witness on behalf of an HOA who sued their lawyer for professional negligence/malpractice. Gilliland testified as to the standard of care for lawyers in a San Diego Superior Court jury trial. After concluding his testimony, his client successfully received a million dollar jury verdict against the defendant lawyer., 2017

Honors

• Mr. Gilliland is an AV-Rated Attorney with the highest legal and ethical rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He has been peer reviewed by lawyers and judges throughout Southern California to receive this prestigious rating., AV -Rated Highest Possible Legal and Ethical Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, 2011
• Top Lawyers, Palm Springs Life Magazine, 2011 - present
• Selected to the Super Lawyers List, Los Angeles Magazine, 2011 - present
• Mr. Gilliland was elected by the DBA members to serve as the President from 2019 -2020., President of the Desert Bar Association, 2019
• Gilliland was awarded the 2012 Community Service Award by the City of Palm Desert's Chamber of Commerce for his pro bono legal work in successfully defending multiple balloonists who were sued in the Coachella Valley. , Community Service Award, City of Palm Desert, 2012
• Mr. Gilliland was selected as a 2011 through 2019 TOP LAWYER by Palm Springs Life Magazine., Palm Springs Life Magazine, Mr. Gilliland was selected as a 2011 through 2019 TOP LAWYER by Palm Springs Life Magazine.
• Mr. Gilliland oversaw all mandatory fee arbitrations involving attorney-client fee disputes submitted to the Desert Bar Association as required by the State Bar of California (2010-2015). He is the current President for the Desert Bar Association (2018-2019).
• Mr. Gilliland was elected by the members of the Desert Bar Association to serve as the President for the Organization in 2019. The Desert Bar Association is a professional association of civil and criminal law attorneys practicing within the Desert Judicial District of the Coachella Valley, comprising the cities of Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, Coachella, Thermal and Mecca., Trustee, Desert Bar Association, 2010
• Top Lawyer, Inland Empire Magazine, 2011 - present

Awards

---

AV Preeminent®: This elite award is granted to attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for their very high ethical standards, with an average peer review score of 4.5 or higher.

Industry Groups

• American Trial Lawyers Association
• Consumer Attorneys Of California
• Desert Bar Association
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Riverside County Bar Association