Robert M. Cearley, Jr.

Born: Galesburg, Illinois, January 3, 1944

Education: Hendrix College; University of Arkansas, B.A., 1965, University of Arkansas, J.D., 1969

Practice Areas: Personal Injury; Wrongful Death; Products Liability; Commercial Litigation; Breach of Contract; Business Torts; Civil Practice; Negligence

Membership: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Chair, Family Law Section, 1982-1983; Tenured Member: House of Delegates; Executive Council, 1981-1984; Chair, 1994-1995; Membership Committee, 1995-1997; President-Elect, 1997-1998; President, 1998-1999) and American Bar Associations; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association (Member, Board of Governors, 1995-1997); American Board of Trial Advocates (Associate Member); American College of Trial Lawyers; International Academy of Trial Lawyers; American Judicature Society (Board of Directors, 1993-1998); The Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Admissions: 1969, Arkansas, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; 1974, U.S. Supreme Court

Miscellaneous Information: Recipient: Arkansas Bar Association Golden Gravel Award, 1997; Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association Outstanding Trial Lawyers Award, 1997, selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, 1999-2005, and the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers, 1999-2001.(Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy)

Biography:

Robert M. Cearley, Jr. has more than 34 years experience representing plaintiffs in claims of death or serious injury caused by negligence and defective products. He focuses his practice on the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, auto and truck accidents, medical malpractice, business litigation, insurance disputes and consumer claims.

An active trial lawyer for more than 37 years, Mr. Cearley is certified in civil trial advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocates. He is Past President of the Arkansas Bar Association and the recipient of its 1997 Golden Gavel Award. He is also a member of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, a past member of its Board of Governors and recipient of its Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award for 1997. Mr. Cearley was elected by his peers as a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and American College of Trial Lawyers, and has been included in The Best Lawyers in America and the Martindale Hubbell's Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers. He is a member of the American Judicature Society (Board of Governors 1995-1998) and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Mr. Cearley has lectured at continuing legal education seminars in the areas of commercial litigation, lender liability, civil rights, insurance, personal injury and legal ethics. He authored the majority opinion as Special Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court in First National Bank of Crossett v. Griffin, 310 Ark. 164,832 S.W.2d816 (1992).

Mr. Cearley was lead counsel in McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education, 529F.Supp.1255 (E.D. Ark.1982) (the "Creation Science Case"), a landmark decision invalidating state law mandating the teaching of Creation Science in Arkansas Public Schools.

Recent product liability cases he handled involving catastrophic injuries caused by air rifles were featured on ABC television's 20/20 and in the Lawyers Weekly USA and the ATLA Products Liability Law Reporter.

Mr. Cearley is a 1969 graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law, where he served as assistant editor of the Law Review.