Clifford Law Offices

What Clifford Law Offices does

Clifford Law Offices is a Chicago-based plaintiffs' litigation firm founded in 1984 by Robert A. Clifford, specializing in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and aviation disaster cases. The firm's core practice areas span aviation litigation (commercial airline crashes, private jet, helicopter, and cargo plane accidents), medical malpractice, personal injury, transportation accidents (trucking, rail, bus, rideshare), construction accidents, class actions/mass torts, explosions and fires, premises liability, car accidents, and wrongful death. The firm operates as a professional services organization with no proprietary technology platform, relying on standard legal practice management tools, case management systems, and an expert witness network. It claims involvement in nearly every major commercial U.S. airline crash over the last 40+ years and reports over $5 billion in cumulative client recoveries across landmark verdicts including $1.2 billion (Sept. 11 property loss), $180 million (grain elevator explosion), $110 million (airline crash), $101 million (brain-damaged baby), and a $250 million Purdue Pharma mass tort settlement.

The firm operates primarily on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay no upfront fees and the firm receives a percentage of settlements or verdicts, with free initial consultations offered. Revenue mechanics are therefore tied to case outcomes rather than recurring billing, and pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is traditional sales-led, relying on direct client acquisition through consultations, referrals, earned media (press conferences, PR Newswire distributions, and coverage in Chicago Tribune, NBC Chicago, and national outlets), industry recognition (Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Lawdragon 500, National Law Journal Top 50), and community involvement. The firm maintains a single Chicago headquarters at 120 North LaSalle Street (36th Floor), serving clients nationwide and representing parties from 35 countries in major aviation mass tort work. Headcount is described as a 20+ lawyer firm within an 11-50 employee organization, with 16 named partners including Founder Robert A. Clifford and Managing Partner Henry R. Simmons (Ret.).

Customer segments center on catastrophic injury and wrongful death victims - including aviation accident victims, medical malpractice victims, and survivors of transportation, construction, and industrial incidents - where deep-pocketed defendants (airlines, manufacturers, hospitals, government entities) are the opposing parties. Notable client engagements in the 2019-2026 window include Lead Counsel representation of 70 of 157 victims in the Boeing 737 MAX Ethiopian Airlines crash, first-filed wrongful death action in the January 2025 American Eagle Flight 5342 midair collision near DCA, representation in the November 2025 UPS Cargo Jet crash, and retention for the June 2025 Air India Flight AI-171 crash. The firm is independently owned (no parent company or PE backing), operates as a professional corporation in Illinois, and is privately held.

Name

Clifford Law Offices

Legal name

Clifford Law Offices PC

Website

https://cliffordlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clifford Law Offices is a Chicago-based plaintiffs' litigation firm founded in 1984, specializing in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and aviation disaster cases for victims and their families across the U.S. and internationally on a contingency fee basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plaintiff Personal Injury and Aviation Litigation

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aviation Liability Insurance (Passenger & Third-Party) (FSAJAHAD), Litigation Support & Expert Witness (Valuation-Related) (BPAHANAG)

Keywords

• Aviation accident litigation
• Personal injury law
• Medical malpractice representation
• Wrongful death lawsuits
• Mass tort litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Contingency Fee: The firm operates primarily on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay no upfront fees and the firm receives a percentage of settlements or verdicts won. This model aligns firm interests with client outcomes and is standard for personal injury litigation.
2. Legal Services - Hourly/Standard Billing: Standard legal billing for certain matters, with transparency that clients will not be billed unless compensation is received in contingency cases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Clifford Law Offices is a Chicago-based plaintiffs' law firm providing legal representation to individuals and families in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases. The firm's flagship Aviation Litigation practice handles commercial airline disasters, cargo jet crashes, helicopter collisions, and private aviation incidents, supported by practice areas in Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Transportation Accidents, Construction Accidents, Truck Accidents, Class Actions, Explosions & Fires, Premises Liability, Car Accidents, and Wrongful Death. Representation is offered primarily on a contingency-fee basis, with free initial consultations.

Product overview

Clifford Law Offices is a Chicago-based personal injury and aviation litigation law firm founded in 1984. The firm operates as a unified legal services practice rather than a technology platform, offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services centered around catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. The core Aviation Litigation practice handles nearly every major commercial airline disaster in the U.S. over the past 40+ years, supplemented by Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Transportation Accidents, Construction Accidents, Truck Accidents, Class Actions Lawsuits, Explosions & Fires, Premises Liability, Car Accidents, and Wrongful Death practice areas. The firm is led by Robert A. Clifford and manages high-profile, global cases with substantial financial and investigative resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aviation Litigation Plaintiff-side legal representation in aviation accident cases including commercial airline disasters, private jet crashes, helicopter accidents, and cargo plane incidents for victims and their families.
• Medical Malpractice Legal representation for patients and families harmed by medical negligence including surgical errors, misdiagnosis, medication errors, birth injuries, and defective medical devices.
• Personal Injury General catastrophic injury representation covering wrongful death, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, fractures, and pedestrian accidents.
• Transportation Accidents Legal representation for victims of train accidents, bus accidents, trucking crashes, underride accidents, and rideshare accidents.
• Construction Accidents Legal services for construction site injuries including crane accidents, scaffolding accidents, and workplace injuries.
• Truck Accidents Legal representation for victims of commercial trucking collisions, underride accidents, and negligent truck maintenance cases.
• Class Actions Lawsuits Mass tort and class action litigation including consumer fraud, product liability class actions, and multi-plaintiff lawsuits.
• Explosions & Fires Legal representation for victims of gas explosions, grain bin explosions, burn injuries, and fire-related incidents.
• Premises Liability Legal services for injuries occurring on dangerous properties including slip-and-fall injuries, elevator accidents, and negligent security cases.
• Car Accidents Legal representation for victims of motor vehicle collisions including drunk driving incidents, distracted driving accidents, and rollover accidents.
• Wrongful Death Legal representation for families of victims killed due to negligent or reckless conduct, including aviation deaths, medical malpractice deaths, and transportation fatalities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $5 billion recovered in catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NetJetsminorOthersNetJets, owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and the world's largest private jet fleet, is mentioned in the context of litigation involving a June 16, 2026 crash. Clifford has been involved in previous litigation involving NetJets and is familiar with its protocols and procedures. NetJets offers fractional aircraft ownership to customers. No formal partnership exists; this is a defendant in litigation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kreindler & Kreindler LLP: Historic New York-based plaintiffs' aviation accident firm founded in 1950. Most direct peer to Clifford given its nearly identical focus on commercial airline disaster representation and aviation product liability against Boeing and manufacturers.
• Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP: Los Angeles-based elite plaintiffs' trial firm with active aviation and catastrophic injury practice. Comparable on mass tort verdicts, lead-counsel roles in major disasters, and contingency-fee model serving similar victim populations.
• Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP: National plaintiffs' firm with strong mass tort and class action practice (Purdue Pharma, opioids, data privacy). Comparable to Clifford on contingency-fee class actions and complex product liability, though more California-centric.
• Weitz & Luxenberg PC: New York-based plaintiffs' mass tort firm with asbestos, environmental, and pharmaceutical litigation. Similar contingency-fee structure and comparable docket of high-value mass tort settlements, overlapping with Clifford's mass tort and class action expansion.
• Robins Kaplan LLP: National plaintiffs' firm with notable aviation product liability practice (notably against Boeing) and mass tort capabilities. Direct overlap with Clifford on aviation mass disaster representation and complex civil litigation.
• Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC: Illinois-based national mass tort plaintiffs' firm specializing in asbestos, environmental, and pharmaceutical litigation. Comparable on contingency-fee mass tort model with overlapping practice areas (product liability, class actions).
• Seeger Weiss LLP: National mass tort and class action plaintiffs' firm with pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer litigation focus. Comparable to Clifford's expansion into class actions and mass torts on a contingency-fee basis.

Broad incumbents

• Morgan & Morgan PA: Largest U.S. plaintiffs' personal injury firm with national footprint and significant aviation practice. Broad incumbent peer given its much larger scale and broader PI focus compared to Clifford's catastrophic-injury niche.

Regional players

• Corboy & Demetrio PC: Chicago-based personal injury and medical malpractice firm historically founded alongside Clifford's predecessor firm. Regional peer with significant overlap on catastrophic injury and med-mal litigation in Illinois.
• Romanucci & Blandin LLC: Chicago-based catastrophic injury and wrongful death firm with strong personal injury and med-mal verdicts. Comparable mid-size regional competitor serving the same plaintiff population in the Midwest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cliffordlaw
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CliffordLawOffices
• Facebookfacebook.com/cliffordlawoffices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clifford-law-offices
• Instagraminstagram.com/cliffordlawoffices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clifford Law Offices