MICHAEL A. KELLY (download vcard)
Mr. Kelly is among California's preeminent personal injury and wrongful death trial lawyers. In 2011 he was appointed as lead plaintiffs' counsel for the Conference Coordinated DePuy hip cases. He also was honored with the Rachel Oliphant Award by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and was voted one of the Top Ten Lawyers in Northern California by the select panel of Super Lawyers Magazine. In 2010 he was voted the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association "Trial Lawyer of the Year" and nominated for the Consumer Attorneys of California "Consumer Attorney of the Year" award (his second such nomination). In 2009 he was chosen by the readers of San Francisco's Recorder legal newspaper as the "Best Personal Injury Attorney" in San Francisco and featured on the cover of the 2009 Northern California Super Lawyers magazine. His 2010 $23,200,000 jury verdict in a medical negligence case ranks among the nation's largest verdicts ever for obstetrical injury. Mr. Kelly has successfully litigated matters in Oregon, Hawaii, Colorado, Alaska, Minnesota, New Mexico and the Territory of Guam. He has obtained 8-figure jury verdicts and settlements in product liability, wrongful death, obstetrical injury, medical negligence and vehicle collision cases. He holds an "AV" rating (highest rating) from Martindale-Hubbell and has been favorably profiled in numerous legal periodicals.
He has been involved in more than 150 cases where his client(s) recovered $1,000,000 or more by way of trial, arbitration, mediation or settlement. He is a four-time "Trial Lawyer of the Year" nominee of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.
In 2011 he was selected for the 18th consecutive year as one of the Best Lawyers in America. His record breaking jury verdicts include the largest verdict for paraplegia in Sonoma County history in 2007; the largest jury verdict for medical negligence in the history of El Dorado County in 2006; and a San Francisco Superior Court jury verdict in 2006 which was, at the time, the largest ever reported for the wrongful death of a non-dependent adult child.
He has been recognized by his peers by election to the most selective and prestigious legal honorary societies. He is a National Board member of ABOTA, and serves on the ABOTA National Foundation Board of Trustees. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. In 2012 he serves as First Vice President of the International Society of Barristers. He has also been elected to Fellowship in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
His commitment to legal education and pro-bono work is widely known and has been recognized by multiple Bar Associations. Over his career he has served as an invited speaker at more than 150 continuing education seminars for other lawyers. In 2008 - 2010 he visited Japan (Tokyo, Osaka) to assist in the training of Japanese attorneys involved in Japan's new Saiban-in jury trial system. In 2008 he was honored by Sonoma County Legal Aid society for his commitment to the poor, and in 2007 the Bar Association of San Francisco presented him with a citation acknowledging his commitment to training lawyers for children.
He teaches for NITA, the California Continuing Education of the Bar, ABOTA , CAOC, SFTLA and The Rutter Group. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, and serves as Program Director of that organization's San Francisco and New York Teacher Training Programs.
He is a summa cum laude graduate of St. Mary's College of California and obtained his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1976. For the last 35 years he has specialized in the resolution of complex plaintiff's personal injury claims, including claims for wrongful death, and those arising from product liability, government negligence, obstetrical mismanagement, drug and device failure, vehicle defects and vehicle collisions.
The Million Dollar Man - Northern California Super Lawyers article
Noteworthy Verdicts and Settlements
Rogers v. Associated Clinics
(Obstetric Malpractice)
$23,200,000 Jury Verdict
Goodloe v. Bell Sports, Inc.
(Defective Consumer Product)
$17,000,000 Jury Verdict
Rachel K. v. Truck Line Operator
(Bicycle v. Semi-Truck - Catastrophic Injuries)
$15,000,000.00 Settlement
Family of H. v. UpRight, Inc.
(Defective Industrial Product - Wrongful Death)
$10,000,000 Settlement
Twins v. Fertility Center
(Fertility Clinic Negligence - Congenital Disease)
$9,500,000 Settlement
Dahl V. Stone M.D.
(Paraplegia - Medical Malpractice)
$9,420, 840.00 Jury Verdict
Perry v. Budget Rent-A-Car
(Automobile Accident)
$8,775,000 Jury Verdict
Widow v. National Package Delivery
(Truck v. Auto Collision - Wrongful Death)
$7,750,000 Settlement
Henry V. v. PG&E
(Electrocution - Utility Negligence)
$7,000,000 Settlement
Child v. Pediatric Neurosurgeon
(Quadriplegia - Surgical Error)
$6,350,000 Settlement
Johnston v. American Honda Motor Co.
(Product Liability - Wrongful Death)
$5,760,000 Jury Verdict
Engineer v. Hospital Corp.
(Failure to Diagnose Aneurysm - Brain Damage)
$5,475,000 Settlement
Diana C. v. Device Maker
(Defective Medical Device - Paralysis)
$5,250,000 Settlement
Richard L. v HMO
(Failure to Diagnose Spinal Abscess)
$5,250,000 Settlement
Student v. Valley Unified School District
(Negligent School Supervision Paraplegia)
$4,500,000 Settlement
Michael O. v. County of Kern
(Dangerous Highway - Brain Damage)
$4,500,000 Settlement
Richard T. v. HMO
(Brain Damage - Failure to Diagnose Cardiomyopathy)
$4,250,000 Settlement
Machinist v. Industrial Machine Design
(Product Liability - Brain Damage)
$4,000,000 Settlement
Infant v. HMO
(Birth Injury - Diplegia)
$3,975,000 Settlement
Jastrab v. Kelada
(Failure to Diagnose Soft Tissue Infection)
$3,170,000 Jury Verdict
Ethier v. Poindexter
(Wrongful Death of Child)
$3,030,000 Jury Verdict
Student v. Daimler-Chrysler
(Product Liability)
$3,000,000 Settlement
Michael N. v. U.S. Automaker
(Vehicle Stability Defect - Rollover Accident)
$2,900,000 Settlement
Baby Y. v. Sutter Health
(Failure to Diagnose Kernicterus)
$2,900,000 Settlement
Kozusko v. Parke-Davis
(Prescription Drug Liability)
$2,500,000 Settlement
Govil v. Golden Gate Bridge
(Highway & Transportation District - Government Liability)
$2,500,000 Settlement
Magana v. Sunshine
(Trench Cave-In - Abdominal Injury)
$2,150,000 Settlement
Dani S. v. Maritime Industries
(Boating Accident)
$2,025,000 Settlement
Arnold v. City and County of San Francisco
(Police Negligence)
$1,500,000 Settlement
