Related Information
Education
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Washington and Lee University School of Law
J.D. 1980
Burks Scholar, 1979-1980 (Teaching Fellow in Law); Captain, William and Mary Invitational Moot Court Team; Team Leader, Alderson Program (Federal Penitentiary)
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Dartmouth College
B.A., magna cum laude with high distinction, 1977
Government (Honors)
Dartmouth College Government Research Award; Rufus Choate Scholar; Jewitt Tucker Foundation Fellow; Language studies in Bourges, France 1975
Admissions
Admitted pro hac vice in several jurisdictions
Kentucky
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
Service Areas
- Administrative Law
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Appellate Advocacy
- Business Litigation
- Commercial Disputes - Contracts and Business Torts
- Regulatory Compliance in the Zone of Market Meltdown
- Complex / Large Litigation
- Government and Regulatory Litigation
- Insurance Coverage, Bad Faith and Regulatory Litigation
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Multi-State, Multi-District and Serial Litigation
- Product Liability
- Professional Liability (Non-Medical Professionals)
- Torts & Insurance Practice
- Toxic Tort & Environmental Defense
- Construction Law
- Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals & Medical Device Liability Defense
Industry Experience
- Insurance Carriers / Brokers / Agents
Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Kentucky Bar Association
- Louisville Bar Association, Member and past member of the board of directors
- Louisville Bar Foundation, Inc., Fellow and past president
- ABA Committee on Products Liability Litigation, Subcommittee on Discovery
- Kentucky Defense Counsel, Former Board Member
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Maritime Law Association of the United States
Community Involvement
- Jefferson Street Baptist Church, Past President
- Downtown Louisville Rotary Club, member
". . . an excellent and experienced trial lawyer."
- ChambersUSA 2010
". . . highly recommended by clients."
- ChambersUSA 2005
Bob Connolly has been with the firm since 1980 and served on the Management Committee from 1995 through 2007. He is chair of the firm's Litigation Section and a member of the Torts & Insurance Practice Service Group.
Bob has tried more than 80 cases to jury verdicts in several states. He has also argued before every appellate court in the federal and state courts of Kentucky. His practice includes defending complex product liability claims and construction and commercial disputes. He has also had experience in administrative, OSHA, insurance, and admiralty claims. Bob is a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America. He is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, in The Best Lawyers in America® in the categories of Bet-the-Company Litigation and Commercial Litigation, and in Kentucky Super Lawyers magazine where he is listed among the Top 50 Attorneys in the State for 2011.
Bob also served as a Special Justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court, Greene, et. al. v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, Administrative Office of the Courts, et. al., ____ S.W.3d ___ (KY September 22, 2011).
Recent Assignments
- Trial counsel for a major medical device manufacturer in multiple states
- National counsel for a nation-wide construction company in corporate and litigation matters
- Supervising trial counsel in mass tort litigation involving more than 2,000 plaintiffs in Kentucky
More Than Stites & Harbison
Bob is involved in a number of civic and charitable activities. He is past President of the Board of Directors of the Jefferson Street Baptist Church, a local homeless shelter dedicated to mentally ill and chemically dependent individuals. He is the past President of the Louisville Bar Foundation and a member of Downtown Louisville Rotary Club. Bob is a past member of the Dartmouth Alumni Council.
Besides Stites & Harbison
Bob enjoys skiing, backpacking and scuba diving.