Robert A. Clifford

Robert A. Clifford is the founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices, a Chicago-based personal injury firm recognized nationally and internationally for its work in complex catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation. Since founding the firm in 1984, Clifford has led a team known for its depth of talent, extensive resources, and long-standing commitment to representing individuals and families harmed by negligence or wrongful conduct. Under his leadership, the firm has recovered billions in verdicts and settlements.

Mr. Clifford is widely recognized for his work in aviation litigation and has represented victims and their families in nearly every major commercial U.S. airline crash since 1979. His experience includes litigation arising from significant historical events, including the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York. He currently serves as Lead Counsel in the ongoing federal litigation in Chicago involving the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX-8 crash, which resulted in 157 fatalities across 35 countries. He also represents families in matters arising from the January 2025 midair collision over the Potomac River involving an American Airlines aircraft and a U.S. military helicopter, as well as litigation stemming from the November 2025 UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Clifford has secured significant results in complex litigation. Among them is a $29.6 million verdict for internationally acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton, who sustained severe injuries in a Metra train incident. He served as lead negotiator in the $1.2 billion settlement of 9/11 property damage claims following the collapse of the Twin Towers. In another matter recognized for Trial Lawyer Excellence by the Jury Verdict Reporter, he was part of the team that obtained a $35 million verdict on behalf of a woman who was dragged by a truck. He also served as lead counsel in litigation against Yellow Cab that resulted in a $25.9 million verdict for a passenger injured when a vehicle struck a concrete barrier.

The recipient of numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, Mr. Clifford has been included in The Best Lawyers in America since its inception in 1983 and has been recognized multiple times as a Lawyer of the Year in Chicago across several practice areas, including medical malpractice, transportation law, aviation litigation, and mass torts. He has also been selected by Super Lawyers as the number one lawyer in Illinois for a record 13 years, including 2026.

Additional recognitions include his selection to Forbes 2024 Americas Top 200 Lawyers, where he was one of eight attorneys nationwide concentrating in personal injury law and the only attorney listed from Illinois. In 2025, he was named to Crains Chicago Business Notable Litigators & Trial Attorneys. His career honors also include the Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Law Journal, induction into the Lawdragon Hall of Fame, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Leonard Ring Lifetime Achievement Award, the Judge Joel Flaum Award from the Chicago Inn of Court, the Champion of Justice Award from the Chicago Bar Association, and the Unity Award from the Diversity Scholarship Foundation. In 2020, The National Law Journal named Clifford Law Offices one of the 50 Elite Law Firms in the country, the only firm in Chicago recognized that year.

Mr. Clifford has held leadership roles in numerous professional organizations. He has served as President of the Chicago Bar Association, President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and President of the Chicago Inn of Court. Within the American Bar Association, he served as Chair of the Section of Litigation and Chair of the ABA Fund for Justice and Education. He is a member of the American Law Institute, the Inner Circle of Advocates, and serves on the Board of Advisors of the RAND Institute for Civil Justice. Since 1994, he has been a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only organization of trial lawyers from the United States and Canada.

In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Clifford has remained active in legal education. Since 2008, Clifford Law Offices has sponsored an annual continuing legal education program designed to encourage thoughtful discussion of emerging legal issues. For more than 30 years, he has also sponsored the DePaul University College of Law Annual Clifford Symposium on Tort Law and Social Policy, which brings together scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to examine issues affecting consumers and the civil justice system.

Mr. Cliffords work reflects a long-standing commitment to client advocacy, legal education, and the advancement of the civil justice system.