Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, and Sarah F. King, partner at the firm, were named among the 2025 Notable Litigators & Trial Attorneys by Crain’s Chicago Business.
This honor recognizes outstanding litigators and trial attorneys for their remarkable achievements over the past 18 months. For lawyers, distinction is reserved for leaders who hold prominent positions within their firms and have managed high-profile cases and complex matters, securing top verdicts and settlements.
With over four decades of legal excellence, Bob Clifford’s distinguished career has made him a beacon of excellence in the legal community. He is known for his unwavering commitment to clients’ rights and legal ethics. Under his leadership, Clifford Law Offices has become an internationally recognized plaintiffs’ trial firm, concentrating in aviation, transportation, personal injury, and wrongful death cases. His dedication has earned him widespread respect and numerous accolades for his professionalism and outstanding service to the legal profession.
Bob is widely recognized as a global leader in aviation litigation, representing victims and their families in nearly every major commercial U.S. airline crash in the last several decades. His involvement in the litigation of cases stemming from major historical events, including the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York, demonstrates the scale of his international reputation. Bob currently serves as Lead Counsel in the pending federal litigation for families of the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX-8 crash victims that took 157 lives from 35 countries, and is representing multiple families in the devastating midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. military helicopter over the Potomac River in January 2025.
Sarah King is a notable personal injury lawyer in Chicago with a focus on medical malpractice, recognized for her record-breaking case results forged with intelligence, grit, and perseverance. She works with dedication and tenacity to investigate and prepare complex medical malpractice cases that pursue justice for those harmed by medical negligence and wrongdoing, particularly on behalf of injured women and children. Among many cases in 2024, Sarah was part of the team that obtained a $15 million settlement on behalf of a baby that sustained permanent brain injury from lack of oxygen due to failure to perform a timely cesarean section. She also obtained a record $6.47 million verdict in a medical malpractice case on behalf of a 58-year-old man who suffered debilitating injuries due to a malpositioned hip implant. Among her notable case results in 2025, Sarah obtained $3 million for a 68-year-old husband and father who died due to medical negligence in the failure to review and work up abdominal echocardiogram findings.
A leader among her peers, Sarah is deeply engaged within the community. She is involved with several organizations that promote the growth and empowerment of women in law and support women and girls across Chicago. She is the current President of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois. In 2025, she was awarded the Advocate for Diversity Award by the Diversity Scholarship Foundation for her active role in advocating and promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
Congratulations, Bob and Sarah, on this wonderful achievement!