Robert F. Daley

Partner

Robert F. Daley (Bob) takes a simple approach to the practice of law— always put each client’s interest first. He believes in treating every client with respect and dignity and in working hard to see that justice is done. Bob’s 20 years of experience have given him a unique ability to see the big picture in any case and to anticipate outcomes before they occur.

Fighting for the rights of others was a natural path for Bob. He was born in Duquesne, a small steel town in Western Pennsylvania. His father, both of his grandfathers, and countless uncles and cousins made their livings, at least for a time, working in the steel mills. Through them, Bob learned the value of hard work. Later, he and his family witnessed the town’s devastation after the mills closed. The devastation continued when two of his uncles passed from asbestos-caused cancers. These experiences shaped Bob and gave him the drive to pursue a career in law.

Bob graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree in chemical engineering. After eight years in the field, Bob decided to switch gears and head to Duquesne University Kline School of Law. He was ready for a career where he could work with real people experiencing real problems, one on one. Bob served as a senior staff member on the Duquesne University Law Review and graduated cum laude in 1998. He then joined Robert Peirce & Associates and has been there ever since.

During his time as a lawyer, Bob has produced groundbreaking changes to national health care law and asbestos law through more than 20 appellate arguments before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court of West Virginia, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. In daily practice, Bob manages and litigates nursing home cases, asbestos cases, complex litigation, and class actions. He has recovered more than $100 million dollars for his clients through negotiating settlements and winning verdicts.

Bob contributes to educating future lawyers as an adjunct professor at Duquesne University teaching trial advocacy. He is also a Trial Moot Court Coach. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Allegheny County Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (WPTLA), and Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. He is an elected member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ) and the American Association of Justice (AAJ), was formerly the Chair of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Nursing Home Litigation Group, where he also previously served as its parliamentarian and treasurer. Bob has been a Regional and National Coordinator of the AAJ Student Trial Advocacy Competition, coordinating regional competition for seven years and the National Competition once.

Well respected in his field, Bob is an invited member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and has been named a Rising Star and Top Pennsylvania Lawyer by Super Lawyers. He received the National Appellate Advocacy Award from The Pound Civil Justice Institute in 2016 for his work in Tooey v. AK Steel and has received an AAJ Appreciation Award for his work with the Law Student Moot Court Competition.

Over the past two decades, Bob has been working at the forefront of Nursing Home Litigation in the United States. Under his guidance, the firm opened the first full time nursing home practice group in Western Pennsylvania, which has expanded from just 1 attorney and 2 staff members to the current 12 lawyers, 2 nurses and 30 support staff – all of whom that work hard every day on important medical malpractice, personal injury and nursing home cases.

Throughout his career, Bob has been dedicated to preserving and expanding the Constitutional Right to Trial by Jury, a bedrock principle of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Through his appellate advocacy, Bob has opened the Courthouse doors to people who previously were denied the right to Trial by Jury. In doing so, he has ensured that a fundamental right of our society is both preserved and respected.

Bob spends most of his free time with his wife and three kids, including many hours at sporting events—he’s been to at least 500 youth baseball games, and has coached both youth baseball and basketball. On occasion, Bob manages to spend some time on the golf course. Finally, Bob spends considerable time at home dodging the seven dogs his wife somehow convinced him to adopt (there are three cats, too, but they are generally smart enough to stay out of the way).

Education

• Duquesne University Kline School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • J.D., cum laude, 1998
  • Honors: Trial Advocacy, Adjunt Professor, 2016 - Present
  • Honors: Trial Moot Court Coach, Adjunct Professor, 2015 - Present
  • Law Review: Senior Staff, Duquesne University Law Review, 1996 - 1998
• University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
  • BSc Chemical Engineering, 1987

Bar Admissions

• Pennsylvania, 1998
• West Virginia, 1999
• Ohio, 2005
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania, 2020
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2001
• U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania, 1999
• U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia, 1999
• U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1999
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2006
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2009

Representative Cases

• Herold v. University of Pittsburgh, 291 A.3d 489 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2023)
• Health and Hospital Corporation v. Talevski, 143 S. Ct. 1444 (2023)
• Hommrich v. PUC 231 A3d 1027 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2020)
• Sunrise Energy v. First Energy Corp and West Penn Power, LLC. 148 A.3d 894 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2016)
• Pisano v. Extendicare Homes, 77 A.3d 651 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2013)
• Landis/Tooey v. AK Steel Corp, 81 A.3d 851 (Pa. 2013)
• Thrower v. Pennsylvania, 873 F. Supplement 2d 651 (Western District PA 2012)
• Grammer v. John J. Kane Regional Centers, 570 F. 3d 520 (3rd Circuit 2009)
• In Re: FELA Asbestos, 665 S.E. 2d 687 (W.Va. 2008)
• Jenkins v. CSXT, 649 S.E. 2d 294 (W.Va. 2007)
• Black v. CSXT, 648 S.E. 2d 610 (W.Va. 2007)
• Slivo v. City of Pittsburgh Mun. Pension Fund, 882 A.2d 24 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2005)
• Sexton v. Grieco, 613 S.E.2d 81 (W.Va. 2005)
• Virden v. Altria Group, 304 F.Supp.2d 832 (N. D. W. Va. 2004)
• In re: FELA Asbestos, 592 S.E. 2d 818 (W.Va 2003)
• Mistick, Inc. v. Northwestern Nat. Cas. Co., 806 A.2d 39 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2002)
• Swierkowski v. Consolidated Rail Corp., 168 F.Supp.2d 389 (E.D. Pa. 2001)

Published Works

• Nursing Home Predispute Arbitration Agreements, The Legal Intelligencer, November 25, (2014)
• The Grammer Decision; Andrews Nursing Home Litigation Reporter, September (2009)
• Commentary: The Grammer Decision: The Federal Nursing Home Reform Amendments Give
• Enforceable Rights to Residents of County Run Nursing Homes, Andrews Litigation Reporters, (2009)
• Court Recognizes Rights of County Run Nursing Home Residents, The Legal Intelligencer, (2009)
• Negligence in Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facilities, Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI), (2008)
• A Suggested Proposal to Apportion Liability in Lead Pigment Cases, Duq. U. L. Rev., Vol. 36, No. 1, (1997)

Honors and Awards

• Top Pennsylvania Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2014 - Present
• Elected Member Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, 2014 - Present
• Appellate Advocacy Award, The Pound Civil Justice Institute, 2016
• Regional Coordinator, AAJ Student Trial Advocacy Competition, 2007, 2009 - 2012, 2014
• Appreciation Award, American Association for Justice, Trial Moot Court, 2005, 2009, 2010
• Invited Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2000 - Present
• Top Pennsylvania Lawyer, Rising Star, Philadelphia Magazine, 2005 - 2006

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Duquesne University School of Law, Trial Advocacy, Adjunct Professor, 2016 - Present
• Duquesne University School of Law, Trial Moot Court Coach, 2014 - Present
• Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ), Member, 1998 - Present
• Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ), Board of Governors, 2010 - Present
• American Association for Justice (AAJ), Member, 1997 - Present
• American Association for Justice (AAJ), Board of Governers, 2024
• American Association for Justice (AAJ) Nursing Home Litigation Group, Chair, 2016
• American Association for Justice (AAJ) Nursing Home Litigation Group, Chair Elect, 2015
• American Association for Justice (AAJ) Nursing Home Litigation Group, Parliamentarian, 2013 - 2014
• American Association for Justice (AAJ) Nursing Home Litigation Group, Treasurer, 2012
• Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, Elected Member, 2014 - Present
• American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, National Coordinator, 2015 - Present
• American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, Regional Coordinator, 2005, 2009 - 2012, 2014
• American Bar Association, Member, 1998 - Present
• Allegheny County Bar Association, Member, 1998 - Present
• Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member, 1998 - 2013
• Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (WPTLA), Member, 1998 - Present
• Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, Member, 1997 - Present
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Member, 2000

Classes/Seminars

• Talevski- Case Update, Pennsylvania Assocation for Justice, 2024
• Penn State Solar Symposium, 2024
• “How to arbitrate when you have to!”, PAJ Nursing Home Seminar, 2024
• “Liens and why you have to care!”, PAJ Nursing Home Seminar, 2024
• The Impact of Talevski in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Assocation for Justice, 2023
• Litigating Nursing Home Civil Rights Cases, Indiana Assocation for Justice, 2023
• Update on Nursing Home Cases Important to You, Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ), 2022
• Joint and Several Liability in Medical Cases, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2022, 2023
• Moderator, Nursing Home Practice in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ), 2021
• Arbitration Case Law and Regulatory Review, Duquesne University, 2016
• Medicare and Medicaid Liens: Overview, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2015
• Arbitration: Case Law and Practical Considerations, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2015
• Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2013
• Post Settlement Lien Resolution Issues and 3rd Party Vendors, Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers, 2013
• Lien Resolution Issues, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Nursing Home Litigation, 2013
• Post Settlement Lien Resolution Issues and Third-Party Vendors, Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers, 2013
• Conduct of Arbitrations and the Pisano Decision, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2013
• We Are Family, Family Members Rights and Damages in Nursing Home Litigation, Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ), 2012
• Distinction Between Fraud and Neglect in NH Cases, United States Department of Justice - Health Care Fraud, 2011
• Negligence Per Se and the Use of Grammer v. Kane in Nursing Home Cases, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2011
• Impact of Grammer v. Kane Beyond Civil Rights, AAJ Annual Convention, 2011
• Civil Rights Claims in Nursing Home Litigation, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2011
• Grammer v. Kane, New Jersey Association for Justice Boardwalk Seminar, 2010
• The Art of Persuasion: Overcoming Age Bias and Lack of Special Damages in Nursing Home Cases, Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ), 2010
• Arbitration Agreements/Post Settlement Issues, Nursing Home and Assisted Living Litigation, 2008
• Negligence in Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facilities, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2008
• Section 8 Compliance and Other Lead Poisoning Litigation Issues, New York State Department of Health Conference on Lead Poisoning, 2000
• Legally Defensible Inspection Reports, Ohio State Health Department Conference, 1999
• Legal Issues in Lead Poisoning Litigation, National Lead Safe Housing, 1999