Many clients will only be involved in litigation once. That’s why Bob Cooper views every case as his most important case. An ideal client for Bob is one who views him as a partner. They know that he is equally invested in securing a favorable outcome, and that he will only do what is necessary to advance efforts to win a case. Clients also have partners in the other lawyers at Christian & Small. Bob says clients have access to a group of thoughtful lawyers with a broad range of experience and the desire to take ownership of every legal or business challenge the client is facing.

During the course of his career, Bob has tried more than 150 cases to a jury verdict. He has represented health care clients in professional negligence matters, and has defended financial institutions and other business entities against claims of negligence, fraud and bad faith.

Representative Experience:

• Successfully defended and secured summary judgement for a national manufacturer that was accused in a products liability case of having an improper design that resulted in the wrongful death of a high school passenger.
• Secured a defense verdict for a general surgeon accused of medical negligence in a wrongful death case.
• Secured summary judgment for a radiologist group concerning its disputed use of a contrast medium.
• Defended a member of the transportation industry in a claim involving personal injury in an accident with another member of the transportation industry.
• Secured a dismissal of a national products manufacturer in a claim for personal injury arising out of the Plaintiff’s use of the product
• Successfully defended a general surgeon accused of medical malpractice. Jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the surgeon.

Reported Decisions:

• Holcomb v. Carraway, 945 So. 2d 1009 (Ala. 2006).
• Black v. Comer, 920 So. 2d 1083 (Ala. 2005).
• Halford v. Alamo Rent-A-Car, LLC, 921 So. 2d 409 (Ala. 2005).
• Lloyd Nolan Hosp. v. Durham, 906 So. 2d 157 (Ala. 2005).
• Slay v. Keller Indus., Inc., 823 So. 2d 623 (Ala. 2001).
• Ex parte Showers, 812 So. 2d 277 (Ala. 2001).
• Ex parte Boshell, 805 So .2d 675 (Ala. 2001).
• Wade Clinic of Chiropractic, P.C. v. Rayburn, 812 So. 2d 1159 (Ala. 2001).
• Crete Carrier Corp. v. Adair, 792 So. 2d 429 (Ala. 2000).
• Ex parte Cardiovascular Assocs., P.C., 776 So. 2d 49 (Ala. 2000).
• Ex parte Proactive Ins. Corp., 668 So. 2d 512 (Ala. 1995).
• Stewart v. Secor Realty & Inv. Corp., 667 So. 2d 52 (Ala. 1995).
• Patterson v. Hays, 623 So. 2d 1142 (Ala. 1993).
• Ex parte Paul Maclean Land Servs., Inc., 613 So. 2d 1284 (Ala. 1993).
• Smith v. Med. Ctr. E., 585 So. 2d 1325 (Ala. 1991).
• Miller v. Norwood Clinic, Inc., PC, 577 So. 2d 860 (Ala. 1991).
• Ex parte Hobbs, 502 So. 2d 1209 (Ala. 1987).

Professional and Community Involvement:

• Council on Litigation Management: Member
• Alabama Law Foundation: Fellow
• International Academy of Trial Lawyers: Fellow
• Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel: Member
• International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC): Member
• Trucking Industry Defense Association: Member
• Transportation Lawyers Association: Member
• Defense Research Institute (DRI): Member
• Alabama Defense Lawyers Association (ADLA): Member
• American Bar Association (ABA): Member
• Alabama State Bar: Member
• Birmingham Bar Association: Member
• Vestavia/Hoover Kiwanis Club: Member
• Habitat for Humanity: Volunteer
• Canterbury United Methodist Church: Member

Awards and Recognition:

• AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell*
• Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2011-2013 in the fields of medical malpractice defense and personal injury litigation defense
• Selected for inclusion in Alabama Super Lawyers® 2010 – 2012 in the field of personal injury defense (general, medical malpractice and products)
• Listed as one of Birmingham’s “Who’s Who in Health Care” by the Birmingham Business Journal

Publications and Presentations:

• Medical Malpractice Seminar, Alabama Bar Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 2005
• “Tackling Advanced Medical Malpractice Issues in Alabama,” National Business Institute, 2005
• “Effective Trial Preparation” and “Tactical Trial Pointers,” National Business Institute’s Medical Malpractice From A to Z Conference, October 24, 2007.

Admissions: