Robert A. Clifford

Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices in Chicago, holds decades of experience in complex personal injury and wrongful death case litigation. Viewed as a leader of consumer advocacy, Bob has represented thousands of clients in claims against large corporations, hospitals, and governing bodies that have acted in negligence and subsequently caused catastrophic injury.

Bob’s many achievements reflect the care and dedication he possesses towards his work and the culture of excellence he has built within his firm. In 2023 and 2024, Bob was ranked the #1 lawyer in Illinois by Super Lawyers. He was named to Forbes’ inaugural 2024 America’s Top 200 Lawyers “power list” alongside the finest and most respected in the profession - one of only eight attorneys specializing in personal injury law, and the only attorney listed in Illinois. In May 2024, he received the inaugural "Robert A. Clifford Champion of Justice Award" presented by the Chicago Bar Association at their 150th-anniversary celebration, and was selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award by The National Law Journal. In 2023, Bob was inducted into Lawdragon's Hall of Fame. He was also named by Best Lawyers/U.S. News & World Report as the Lawyer of the Year in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions in 2016 and 2019 for the Chicago metropolitan area.

Under Bob’s leadership, Clifford Law Offices has been routinely ranked as one of the top law firms in Chicago and included on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Law Firms. Since 1984, the firm has made an immeasurable impact on the lives of individual clients and their families, recovering over $5 billion in judgments and settlements.

Bob’s role in substantial verdicts and settlements include a $1.2 settlement regarding the 9/11-related property damage and insurance subrogation claims against airlines and security companies, a $180 million verdict for three men who were severely burned in a grain elevator explosion at work, $56.78 million recovery in the injury and wrongful death of passengers aboard a speeding Amtrak Train 501 that derailed outside DuPont, Washington, and a $52.5 million settlement on behalf of eight young, female acrobats who sustained severe, life-altering injuries during an aerial performance with Barnum & Bailey Circus. 

While these achievements in plaintiffs' injury litigation are tremendous accomplishments, Bob's niche is in aviation law. Having represented those injured or killed in nearly every major commercial U.S. airline crash in the last several decades, Bob has been involved in litigating cases stemming from major historical events, including the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York. He is currently the Lead Counsel in the ongoing federal litigation for families of the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX-8 crash victims that took 157 lives. The list below illustrates how truly singular Bob is in this field and the extensive reach of his unparalleled experience. 

• American Airlines Flight 191 in 1979
• United Airlines Flight 232 in 1989
• United Airlines Flight 585 in 1991
• American Eagle Flight 3379 in 1994
• American Eagle Flight 4184 in 1994
• US Air Flight 427 in 1994
• Tarom Airlines Flight 371 in 1995
• TWA Flight 800 in 1996
• Swissair Flight 111 in 1998
• American Airlines Flight 1420 in 1999
• Egyptair Flight 990 in 1999
• Alaska Air Flight 261 in 2000
• Singapore Air Flight 006 in 2000
• American Airlines Flight 587 in 2002
• Turkish Airlines Flight 634 in 2003
• Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 in 2005
• Comair Flight 5191 in 2006
• Continental Connection Flight 3407 in 2009
• Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 in 2009
• Caribbean Airlines Flight 523 in 2011
• Asiana Flight 214 in 2013
• Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in 2014
• American Airlines Flight 383 in 2016
• Aeromexico/Aeroliterol Flight 2431 in 2018
• Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 in 2018
• Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019

At Bob’s example, the work of Clifford Law Offices extends beyond the courtroom through law and philanthropy, aiming to create societal changes that safeguard the rights and well-being of others, giving back to the community, investing and empowering future lawyers, and bettering the legal profession. Bob endowed the first Chair on Tort Law and Social Policy to his alma mater, DePaul University College of Law, sponsoring the annual free Clifford Symposium on Tort Law & Social Policy which brings together great legal minds on relevant and influential topics within tort law. Clifford Law Offices also host multiple free continuing legal education programs each year on topics ranging from courtroom ethics to healthy habits for busy lawyers.

Bob does integral work with national and local bar associations and has held many influential leadership positions over his career including President of the Chicago Bar Association, President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and President of the Chicago Inn of Court, among other positions. Bob has been inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers. He is a member of the American Association for Justice, the International Society of Barristers, and the highly selective Inner Circle of Advocates.

Clifford Law Offices upholds the missions of numerous local and national programs ranging from educational funds and cultural organizations to the charitable and educational arms of hospitals and legal associations, exemplifying Bob’s professional values in law, ethics, philanthropy, and public service. He is a board member of WTTW, Chicago’s public television station, an Immediate Past Chair of the Naples Children and Education Foundation, and has contributed to numerous educational organizations within the Chicago area. He and his wife, Joan, were recognized by the Lawyers for the Creative Arts Award in 2018 for their philanthropic work in the area of the arts.

In short, Robert A. Clifford is a titan in the profession and continues to work for justice for his clients while making the community a better place to live.