Robert “Bobby” Shannon
Shareholder – Carlton Fields

Description of field of expertise

Robert “Bobby” Shannon is a SWAT/national trial lawyer who handles a broad spectrum of high-profile and complex matters. He has tried more than 73 cases to verdict and has served as lead or co-lead counsel in a variety of matters, including multidistrict litigation and class actions, in federal and state courts across the country and Puerto Rico. Known across the country as a “go-to” trial lawyer, Bobby has parachuted in to 250 matters shortly before trial was set to begin. He also took over as lead trial counsel in a matter after the trial started.

Bobby is known for representing clients in matters involving exposure in the billions of dollars. Through his work on bet-the-company litigation, Bobby has built a national reputation for his skills in litigation strategy and crisis management. He has experience in commercial and contract disputes, cybersecurity, aviation, product liability, mass torts, professional liability, trucking and transportation, banking, adversary proceedings in bankruptcy, construction, and government contracting. Bobby’s legal experience is bolstered by his military service where he began his career flying surveillance aircraft in support of contingency and combat operations around the world and ended as a two-star general assigned as the mobilization assistant to the deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon.

Bobby retired from the Air Force in 2017 with the rank of major general after 35 years of active and reserve military service, including many years when he served while maintaining his legal practice. In addition to various command and senior leadership roles, during his military career, Bobby had 18 deployments in support of combat and contingency operations to 30 countries.

 

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

You have to be confident and not arrogant. You have to be willing to put in hard work and long hours. Passion for being in the courtroom and in trial is a must. You can’t be afraid of adversity and bad outcomes. You have to be able to work within a team of other hard chargers and all work moving in the same direction. Trials are fluid and dynamic, and wrought with uncertainty. You can’t control every facet. Sometimes planning is inversely proportional to what actually happens. You have to bring a strategic vision to a difficult problem set and instill confidence in your client that you are giving them the best chance of success. 

 

Final thoughts…

I left the active-duty Air Force and transferred to the reserves to attend law school. After law school, I was told to leave the military because of the demands. The military told me I could go far if I quit practicing law. I became a senior shareholder in my firm. I left the military as the highest-ranking African American in the Air Reserve Component. Don’t let others define your limits.