Recognized in Best Lawyers since 1993 
Robert A. Clifford is the founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices, a nationally recognized Chicago-based personal injury and medical malpractice firm known for its depth of talent, extensive resources, and unrelenting determination in handling complex personal injury and wrongful death litigation. Founded in 1984, the firm is ranked nationally and locally by Best Law Firms® in several practice areas, including aviation. Under Clifford’s leadership, the firm has recovered over $5 billion in judgments and settlements for individuals and families facing catastrophic injury or the loss of a loved one due to negligence or wrongful conduct.
Clifford is widely recognized as a global leader in aviation litigation, having represented victims and their families in nearly every domestic commercial U.S. airline crash since 1979. His work has included litigation arising from historic events, including the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York. He currently serves as Lead Counsel in the federal litigation stemming from the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX8 crash in Ethiopia, while also representing families in the November 2025 UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky, and pursuing claims arising from the January 2025 mid-air collision over the Potomac River between an American Eagle regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people. Together, the Clifford Law Offices aviation practice group is known for handling high-profile catastrophic events, taking on corporate giants, pursuing accountability, influencing public policy, and safeguarding the rights of passengers, families, and the flying public through strategic legal action.
Among Clifford’s most notable results is the $29.6 million verdict he secured for Rachel Barton, an internationally acclaimed violinist who was severely injured by a Metra train. He also 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 high-profile matter recognized by the Jury Verdict Reporter for Trial Lawyer Excellence, he was part of the team that secured a $35 million verdict for a woman dragged by a truck. He later served as lead counsel in a case against Yellow Cab that resulted in a $25.9 million verdict for a lawyer injured in the back seat when the van crashed into a concrete barrier.
Clifford has been included in The Best Lawyers in America® since its inception in 1983. He has been listed as the top lawyer in the Chicago metropolitan area in specific practice areas, including medical malpractice, transportation claims, aviation, and mass torts/class actions. He has also been recognized as a “Lawyer of the Year” in Chicago across multiple practice areas and six separate years.
Other notable recognitions include Clifford’s selection by Super Lawyers®, a peer-review organization, as the number one lawyer in Illinois for 13 years, including 2026. In 2025, he was selected for inclusion in Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Litigators & Trial Attorneys. In 2024, he was named to Forbes’ America’s Top 200 Lawyers list, one of eight attorneys concentrating in personal injury law and the only attorney listed in Illinois. He was also honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by The National Law Journal. His other career achievements include 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 to receive that distinction.
These accolades not only reflect Clifford’s success in litigation but also his commitment to advancing the legal profession. He has been actively involved in and served in leadership roles in numerous legal organizations, including the American Bar Association (Chair of the Section of Litigation and Chair of the ABA’s charitable arm, the Fund for Justice and Education), Chicago Bar Association (President), Chicago Inn of Court (President), and Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (President). He is also a member of the American Law Institute and the Inner Circle of Advocates, and he serves on the Board of Advisors of the RAND Institute for Civil Justice. Since 1994, Clifford has been a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only Fellowship of exceptional trial lawyers from the United States and Canada.
The foundation of Clifford’s success lies in his strong dedication to clients and the culture of continuous learning he has cultivated within his firm and the legal community. Since 2008, Clifford Law Offices has sponsored an annual continuing legal education program to encourage innovative thinking in the legal profession and provide the next generation of lawyers and litigators with opportunities for practical education and contemporary experience. Additionally, Clifford has sponsored the DePaul University College of Law Annual Clifford Symposium on Tort Law and Social Policy for over three decades. This symposium brings together global leaders and scholars to examine issues affecting consumers and the civil justice system, providing accessible continuing legal education for practicing attorneys, law students, and other legal professionals.
Robert Clifford’s career reflects a sustained commitment to accountability, public safety, legal education, and community service. Through litigation, leadership, and philanthropy, he continues to shape the practice of law in Chicago and beyond.
