Fort Lauderdale, June 12, 2026 — Kelley | Uustal Founding Partner Robert “Bob” Kelley will be inducted into the Broward County Bar Association Hall of Fame at the BCBA’s upcoming 2026 Installation Gala. This honor recognizes a career that has shaped the South Florida community and the national civil justice landscape for more than four decades.
The Broward County Bar Association Hall of Fame honors attorneys whose impact extends beyond individual cases and whose work leaves a lasting mark on both the profession and the community they serve. Over the course of his career, Kelley has secured landmark verdicts and settlements in catastrophic injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, tobacco, product liability, and civil rights litigation.
A Fort Lauderdale native, Kelley studied physics and astronomy at Vanderbilt University before attending Nova Southeastern University’s College of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and served as editor-in-chief of the Nova Law Review. He joined the late Sheldon Schlesinger’s firm in 1984, where he spent more than twenty years building a reputation as one of the country’s premier trial lawyers.
In 1998, he obtained a $60 million verdict against General Motors after a fuel-fed fire killed a thirteen-year-old boy and severely injured his family. At the time, it was the largest wrongful death and personal injury judgment ever paid by GM, drawing international attention.
In 2006, Kelley and John Uustal co-founded Kelley | Uustal, a firm known nationally for taking on difficult and high-risk cases. Three years later, Kelley secured what was then the largest individual tobacco verdict in American history — a $300 million verdict against Philip Morris USA on behalf of a Fort Lauderdale woman. The National Law Journal ranked it among the largest verdicts in the country that year. His work has included a $38.5 million medical malpractice verdict for a man left in a minimally conscious state following a routine procedure, and a $33 million verdict in Los Angeles on behalf of a surgeon whose hands were injured after being wrongfully handcuffed by LAPD officers during a traffic stop.
Throughout his career, Kelley has received consistent recognition from the legal profession. He received the Florida Justice Association’s EAGLE Legend Award and is a member of the Summit Council and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He served as President of the Broward County Trial Lawyers Association, has spoken extensively on trial advocacy and jury selection and co-authored the Florida Bar’s Civil Trial Practice Manual chapter on jury selection. He also founded DiveBar, a nonprofit organization focused on environmental education, coral reef preservation, and adaptive diving programs for wounded veterans.
“I grew up in this community, and this is where I learned what it means to fight for people who cannot afford to lose. I have practiced here for more than forty years, built a firm and a career here, and I share this recognition with every client who trusted me to fight for them.
I didn’t get into this work for the recognition. I got into it because I believe that if you take risks for the right reasons, work hard enough and smart enough, you can make a difference for people who need someone in their corner. That is still the only measure that matters to me. The Broward County Bar Association has been my professional home since 1985, and I am deeply grateful to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.” — Robert Kelley, Founding Partner, Kelley | Uustal
“Bob has spent his career standing up to powerful corporations and institutions on behalf of people whose lives have been turned upside down, and he has done it with extraordinary skill, courage, and integrity.
When we founded Kelley | Uustal Trial Attorneys twenty years ago, we shared a belief that the most important cases are often the hardest ones, and that the people who need great lawyers the most are often facing the toughest odds. This recognition is a reflection not only of the results he has achieved, but of the countless people, lawyers, and communities he has impacted along the way.
There are lawyers who can win cases but there are very few who can build a career and a reputation the way Bob Kelley has. Bob has never been afraid of difficult cases, difficult opponents, or difficult fights. He prepares relentlessly, he cares deeply about his clients, and he never loses sight of what’s right.” — John Uustal, Founding Partner, Kelley | Uustal
“Everything I have seen Bob do throughout his career has been rooted in helping others — whether assisting someone who has suffered a catastrophic injury and faces overwhelming medical bills, or mentoring young, aspiring attorneys as they begin their careers. Bob has consistently dedicated himself to serving those in need. Through his service to the Bar, his clients, fellow lawyers, and the broader community, Bob Kelley has made a lasting and meaningful impact. He is exceptionally deserving of induction into the Broward County Bar Association’s Hall of Fame.” — Braulio Rosa, Executive Director, Broward County Bar Association
As Kelley | Uustal Trial Attorneys marks its 20th anniversary, the Hall of Fame induction serves as a fitting tribute to one of the founding partners who helped establish its national reputation.
The 2026 BCBA Installation Gala will take place June 13, 2026, at The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale.
About Kelley | Uustal
Kelley | Uustal Trial Attorneys is a personal injury and trial law firm with a national reputation for handling catastrophic injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and product liability cases. The firm has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of clients who have suffered life-altering injuries at the hands of corporations and institutions. For more information, visit kelleyuustal.com.
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