Robert A. Clifford founded a personal injury law firm in his name in 1984. For decades, the firm has worked to establish a national reputation, having been named by the National Law Journal as one of the top 20 “Plaintiffs’ Hot List” in 2003, and 2004 as one of the 25 “Go-To” plaintiffs’ law firms in the country. Robert Clifford was named one of the Illinois Super Lawyers in 2005 by Law and Politics, a national organization that conducted independent research among his peers across the state. In the initial announcement of the top five percent of the state’s lawyers, Mr. Clifford was selected to appear on the cover of the inaugural issue. He also has consistently been selected as one of the top three Leading Lawyers in Illinois, an organization that represents five percent of the state’s top lawyers as selected through an extensive research process including peer recommendations. The Chicago Lawyer named Clifford Law Offices the city’s top firm in its Annual Settlement Survey in 2005 and in 2002, leading with $86.7 million and $136.85 million respectively in numerous settlements for the year. Robert Clifford was singled out as the leading individual attorney with the highest total dollar figure in settlements at $77.32 million in 2002. Mr. Clifford was chosen to be part of a select group of aviation attorneys to advise the RAND Institute for Civil Justice, a California-based research think-tank. Its mission: to study the investigative process of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the government arm that oversees investigations of major transportation accidents in the air, on the rails or at sea. Mr. Clifford was most interested in seeing that the families of those who lost loved ones in a crash be allowed to get involved in the investigatory process. Currently, families are not now permitted by statute to participate in the NTSB fact-finding process. He and partner Kevin Durkin also were appointed to the Aviation Law Institute at DePaul University College of Law, an Advisory Board on aviation matters composed of lawyers and experts from around the world.
The lawyers at Clifford Law Offices represent years of practice in the area of personal injury law including aviation, transportation, medical malpractice and product liability law. The largest law firm concentrating on plaintiffs’ personal injury and wrongful death law, Clifford Law Offices’ attorneys have hundreds of years of combined experience. Some of the partners have held leadership positions within various bar associations on the local, state and national level. Every member of the firm upholds the highest principle of the legal profession in placing the individual client first. The firm often is said to set the standard in professional excellence. Moreover, it is important to note that as a result of the litigation handled by the firm, many defective products and dangerous practices have been changed or abandoned altogether.
The very nature of Clifford Law Offices involves a willingness to accept the challenges and responsibilities inherent in complex litigation. This thinking and talent has led victims’ families from around the world or their personal attorneys to refer cases to the firm. Those who find themselves the victims of such a tragedy turn to Clifford Law Offices because they know it is a firm that is committed to investing the time and resources required to fully represent every case through the successive stages of investigation, preparation and trial in attempting to achieve what is just and reasonable for each client. Time and again, Clifford Law Offices has demonstrated how it stands out in helping victims find out what happened to their loved ones while seeking just compensation for injuries or needless deaths.
The clients of Clifford Law Offices come from every walk of life. The firm has represented victims of personal injury from state supreme court judges to business and professional leaders across the country, from construction workers to teachers. All of these people are important and are treated with dignity and respect during their time of great need.
To assist in trial preparation, Clifford Law Offices has pioneered many of the modern courtroom techniques now considered standard practice in the presentation of tort cases. Responding to the increased complexities of civil tort practice, the firm has won significant cases using the latest state-of-the-art computer animation, accident reconstruction techniques, three-dimensional modeling, computerized deposition recall, flow charts and document enlargements for the jury to better understand the events that occurred. Clifford Law Offices was among the first personal injury firms in the state to use day-in-the-life videos, presenting a chronology of a personal injury or wrongful death victim’s life following an accident, so that a jury can get to know those we represent and the impact the tragedy had on the lives of the injured or wrongfully killed as well as their loved ones. The attorneys at Clifford Law Offices have the experience to aggressively pursue a case, assimilating, if necessary, breakthrough technological and informational resources into its practice – a philosophy the firm embraces in the service of commitment to the individual needs of each client.
The firm’s ability to respond respectfully and intelligently reflects the human, financial and professional resources the firm applies to such litigation. The firm’s experience combined with the experience of its attorneys and legal staff, ensure thorough development and successful handling of its cases.
The philosophy of Clifford Law Offices is based upon a dedication to protecting and preserving the dignity and the rights of all individuals. Without clogging the courts, without revenge, retaliation or retribution, those still grieving can channel these feelings in a more positive way in an attempt to change negligent or reckless behavior. Experience has proven that the power of a single lawsuit can eliminate the dangers caused by unsafe products and practices. Clifford Law Offices is committed to pursuing this philosophy on behalf of its clients.