Robert W. Cockerham

Robert W. Cockerham is the founder of the law firm Cockerham & Associates, LLC, in St. Louis, Missouri. He has experience in the full range of personal injury, subrogation, insurance law and coverage, vehicular accidents, product liability, arson and fraud litigation, serious bodily injury, wrongful death, fire destruction, large water losses, major building collapses, fidelity losses and numerous other property and casualty cases. He is well-versed in handling claims and lawsuits of all kinds and litigating them through trial and appeal.

He has tried more than 150 civil cases and has handled more than 100 appeals in various state and federal courts, many of which have been multimillion-dollar lawsuits and precedent-setting cases. He has repeatedly been listed in the “Top Verdicts in Missouri.” Especially well-known for his appellate skills, Mr. Cockerham received the “David J. Dixon Appellate Advocacy Award” from the Missouri Bar Foundation in recognition of his outstanding achievement in appellate practice.

As a result of Bob’s successes, The LIGHT Foundation was founded by the Cockerham family and close friends with the shared mission to generate leadership and development opportunities for today’s youth. Building upon their involvement in area youth-focused organizations for several decades, The LIGHT Foundation was created with the unique purpose of collaborating with other non-profit entities with like-minded missions as well as producing programs and advantages for youth, particularly with special needs.

Using his four decades of legal experience for the benefit of his clients, Mr. Cockerham is a zealous and fierce advocate for the rights and liberties of his clients. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Webster College and a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri. He pursued his legal studies at the Saint Louis University and earned his Juris Doctor in 1984.

An enthusiastic member of the legal community, Mr. Cockerham is a part of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals, Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators, the International Association of Arson Investigators, the American Bar Association.

Additionally, Mr. Cockerham is a senior fellow at the Litigation Counsel of America and a member of the Distinguished Justice Advocates. He has obtained numerous million-dollar and multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients, and this has resulted in his memberships into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Mr. Cockerham, who is renowned for his prowess in appellate law, was honored with the "David J. Dixon Appellate Advocacy Award" by The Missouri Bar Foundation for his great accomplishment in this field. He is also the recipient of the National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators' Outstanding Achievement Award and President's Award.

An ardent speaker, Mr. Cockerham has served as a contributing author and keynote speaker at seminars and continuing legal education programs about many aspects of tort and civil litigation, including insurance coverage and law, subrogation techniques, and bad faith. He has also written extensively and has authored many articles for prominent legal associations.

In addition to Missouri and Illinois, Mr. Cockerham is authorized to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th, 8th and 10th Circuits, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, the U.S. District Courts for the Central and Southern Districts of Illinois, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, and the U.S. Claims Court.

Bob and his loving and beautiful wife Stacy are the proud parents of seven wonderful and brilliant children and two grandchildren. Bob was elected unanimously by leaders throughout the world to serve as the Chairman of the Board of DeMolay International 2009-2010. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Benevolence and Fraternal Assistance Committee for the Scottish Rite of the Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Maryville University.