Taking Action as One of the Nation’s Leading Lawyers
Attorney Robert W. Kelley of Kelley | Uustal is an accomplished trial lawyer who has received national recognition for high-profile case successes. In one of his most notable cases, he obtained a winning verdict after a six-month jury trial against General Motors (GM), earning him national attention and media coverage, including a segment on 60 Minutes.
Mr. Kelley’s prosecution helped to expose a massive corporate scandal involving sensitive documents hidden by GM concerning a “value analysis” performed by their engineers. It was revealed during the trial that engineers considered whether or not it would be worth spending $2.20 per vehicle to install fuel tank shields that could be life-saving in the event of a vehicle fire. The jury ultimately sided with Mr. Kelley, resulting in the largest wrongful death and personal injury judgment ever paid by GM. A book was later written about corporate misconduct and the outcome of the trial.
A decade later, Mr. Kelley was responsible for obtaining the seventh-largest verdict by a jury in U.S. history, according to a report by the National Law Journal. This major accomplishment was also the largest product liability award in the country in that same year.
Mr. Kelley has been named one of the Top Ten Lawyers in the United States by Lawyers USA.
Millions of Dollars Won
Thomas Jefferson once said that “trial by jury is the best of all safeguards for the person and property of every individual.” Attorney Kelley is a living testament to this statement, proudly fighting on behalf of those who have been wronged by businesses, individuals, or other entities.
Throughout his career, Mr. Kelley has tried more than 100 jury trials for a wide variety of cases, including boating, trucking, and automobile accidents, construction site accidents, medical malpractice, traumatic brain injuries, catastrophic injuries, defective products, and more. He has achieved success in more than 25 multimillion-dollar verdicts.
Ethical. Knowledgeable. Reputable.
For more than 20 years, Mr. Kelley has been board certified in civil trial law by the Florida Bar. He lectures frequently across the country and served as an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern Law Center. Mr. Kelley has also achieved an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell®.
As editor of the Jury Selection Blog, Mr. Kelley shares his professional knowledge with more than 2,000 subscribers. His audience includes law professors from across the country, attorneys, and judges. He is also published in the Nova Law Review, the International Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, the Journal of the Florida Justice Association, and the Florida Bar Journal.
Mr. Kelley graduated from Nova Southeastern Law Center and Vanderbilt University. In school, he was editor-in-chief of the Nova Law Review. Today, he is admitted to the Florida State Bar, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the United States Court of Appeals of the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court.
Proudly Giving Back to His Community
In addition to his exceptional contributions to the legal field, Mr. Kelley also contributes to and participates in a significant number of local and national charities.
Attorney Kelley has been involved as a board member with the Broward County YMCA and the United Way. He also serves as a board member for the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale, which provides low-income families and the elderly with safe, decent, and affordable housing.
Additionally, he and his firm serve as Justice Circle Sponsors for Legal Aid and FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD. Through his generosity, Mr. Kelley was the founding donor of the Kelley Boathouse at Fort Lauderdale’s Pine Crest School. He continues to be a significant donor to the Turtle Hospital and the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys.
Early Background & Other Interests
Mr. Kelley is a licensed United States Coast Guard Captain. He worked his way through law school on commercial fishing boats. He is a PADI certified Rescue Diver and Dive Master. In 2011 he founded The Dive Bar, an Underwater Bar Association, consisting of SCUBA certified lawyers and others who are dedicated to preserving the coral reefs and marine environment of the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. He is married and he and his wife have 6 children.
