Walkup Law Firm Partner Michael A. Kelly Invited To Membership in Inner Circle of Advocates

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, March 18, 2013 (Press-News.org) Following in the footsteps of firm founder Bruce Walkup, partner Michael A. Kelly has been elected to membership in the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates. Since its inception, the Inner Circle has included the 100 top plaintiff trial attorneys in the nation among its membership. Its mission is to promote the highest standards of courtroom competence and mutual fellowship and exchange of knowledge among outstanding trial lawyers.

Membership is limited to attorneys of exceptional qualifications who are respected among their peers and who are experienced and skillful in the handling of courtroom litigation. Members share experience, skill, and knowledge, and often function as a collective law firm in the pursuit of justice.

The Inner Circle of Advocates was conceived by Tucson, Arizona Attorney Richard Grand in 1972 when he decided there was a need for an organization made up of the most skilled plaintiffs' attorneys to share information about their work.

At least one million dollar verdict and the completion of fifty personal injury cases were the threshold for membership. Total membership was to be limited to fifty members. These same qualifications apply today, with two changes -- members must now have at least three verdicts in excess of $1 million or one verdict in excess of $10 million with the most recent verdict being no more than five years old, and the membership total has been increased to 100 members. The first meeting was held in San Francisco in 1972 and eleven lawyers including Bruce Walkup were in attendance. Walkup would later serve as President of the Inner Circle.

Mr. Kelly is in his 4th decade of representing those injured by the wrongdoing of others. His $8,340,000 verdict this year in the first DePuy ASR /Johnson and Johnson trial held in Los Angeles set the standard for verdicts in the nationwide metal-on metal artificial hip implant litigation. His August, 2012, $8,350,000 verdict on behalf of a construction-site worker who lost an arm in a fall, demonstrated the breadth of his practice. Mr. Kelly has been selected by SuperLawyers Magazine as one of the Top Ten lawyers in Northern California for the five consecutive years. His practice includes prosecution of medical device, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, medical negligence, product liability and government liability claims. He represents clients both in and out of California.

In 2012 he was honored by the Consumer Attorneys of California with the Robert E. Cartright award, given to a member of the Association for contributions to the teaching Trial Advocacy. In 2011 he was honored by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy with the prestigious Robert Oliphant Award, recognizing his pro bono contributions to advocacy teaching. In 2010 he was voted by the members of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association as "Trial Lawyer of the Year." One year earlier he was chosen by the readers of San Francisco's Recorder legal newspaper as the "Best Personal Injury Attorney" in San Francisco.

For more information about Michael Kelly or the Walkup Law Firm, visit www.walkuplawoffice.com or call 888-799-3968.