Robert G. Kerrigan

Robert G. Kerrigan "Born in Highland Park, Michigan, in 1943, Bob Kerrigan moved to Florida in 1959, graduating from high school in Port St. Joe. In 1967 he graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting from Florida State University. As a Certified Public Accountant, he worked for Price-Waterhouse before beginning the study of law. In 1971, he graduated with honors from the Florida State University College of Law. Bob came to Pensacola in 1971 to assume a position with the Public Defender's Office, where he later attained the position of Chief Assistant. In 1973, he went into private practice with emphasis on criminal defense trial work. Over the years, Bob has tried many high profile murder cases. In 1975, he formed a partnership with George Estess and began to concentrate on personal injury litigation.

"He was one of eight trial lawyers selected by the Governor of the State of Florida to prosecute the State's claim for Medicaid recovery against the tobacco industry. The case settled during jury selection for, at the time, the largest civil judgment in the history of the United States.

"He has obtained numerous multi-million dollar jury verdicts. He is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, and is a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. Bob was legal advisor to the minority caucus of the Florida Senate during the election controversy in Florida in 2000. He is a member of the Florida Association of Attorney-CPAs and a member of the International Bar Association.

"Bob has been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America and was named as one of Florida's Top Lawyers in Florida Monthly Magazine. In 2006, he was named as one of the top 500 Plaintiffs' Lawyers in America by LawDragon, an independent listing of the nations top plaintiffs' lawyers and a distinction that is awarded to less than one-half of one percent of America's 1.1 million attorneys.

"In recent years, Bob has dedicated a major portion of his time to the prosecution of international human rights cases. He acted as co-counsel in two recent trials, Ford v. Garcia and The Estate of Winston Cabello, et al. v. Armando Fernandez-Larios.

"He has also endowed the Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights." [1]

• Director, Center for International Policy
• National Council, Human Rights First