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Robert E. Kleinpeter Managing Partner Mr. Robert E. Bob Kleinpeter is a founder and the managing partner of Kleinpeter & Schwartzberg, L.L.C., a firm that serves Louisiana families statewide in trial litigation and appellate practice. Inspired by his uncle, a legendary Baton Rouge attorney, Bob grew up wanting to be a courtroom attorney from the time he was a boy. |
During high school he prepared himself for a career in law by excelling in academics, holding offices in a variety of service organizations such as Key Club, and setting swimming records in Amateur Athletic Union and Junior Olympic competition. After turning down swimming scholarship offers from several colleges, he coached AAU and club swim teams during his undergraduate years. Mr. Kleinpeter entered Louisiana State University's Honor's College and graduated three years later. He received his law degree from Louisiana State University's Law School in 1976 and passed the bar examination for the State of Louisiana at age twenty-three and immediately began the practice of law.
Within a few years he was litigating cases in city, state, and federal courts, sometimes appearing in front of as many as five judges in a single day, handling criminal, family, succession, commercial, personal injury, and other litigation. His legal practice is now focused on the prosecution of negligence and products liability cases involving injury and wrongful death, frequently in the area of toxic torts and catastrophic harm. He has been admitted as counsel pro hac vice in California, Oregon, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi and litigated suits to verdict in many states. The Louisiana Association for Justice (formerly Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association) chose Mr. Kleinpeter as its president for 2005-2006. As president, Mr. Kleinpeter helped guide the association through the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He assisted the legal community in its response to problems created by the hurricanes, providing testimony in favor of legislation which protected the public's rights, especially in the areas of insurance law and civil procedure.
Mr. Kleinpeter's cases have set legal precedent or clarified the law in many areas including insurance, damages for harms recoverable, punitive damages, groundwater contamination, toxic torts, intentional acts, allocation of fault, maritime law, administrative law, the standard for granting a motion for a new trial, trial procedure, appellate procedure, prescription, and succession law. He regularly gives presentations to schools and organizations including, Paul M. Hebert Law School, Tulane University Law School, the Baton Rouge Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Louisiana Association for Justice, TrialSmith, the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Mississippi Federal Bar Association, the Practicing Law Institute, the National Business Institute, and others. His presentations include subject areas in ethics, professionalism, law practice management, emerging and current perspectives in medical causation, Daubert motions, summary judgment motion practice, trial procedure, appellate procedure, and jury selection.
Mr. Kleinpeter has written a variety of articles for a broad range of legal publications including the Bureau of National Affairs, Toxic Law Reporter, Matthew Bender & Co.'s Environmental Practice Guide (Louisiana chapter), the Baton Rouge Bar Association's Around the Bar, the Louisiana Association for Justice's The Advocate, and others. Topics have included substantive law, procedural law, insurance exclusions, Daubert motions, summary judgment, medical causation, federal preemption, occupational diseases, pharmaceutical cases, medical monitoring, environmental damages, personal injury damages, and other areas of the law.
Mr. Kleinpeter was president of the Louisiana Association for Justice (LAJ), served on its Council of Directors and Board of Governors, was chairman of its Toxic Torts Section, and serves on the LAJ Executive Committee because the association is committed to preserving the civil justice system, protecting open access to courts, protecting individual rights, promoting individual and corporate responsibility, and preserving the highest of ethical and educational standards for the profession. Mr. Kleinpeter is on the Board of Governors, a member of Leader's Forum, a Sustaining Member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ), and a Fellow in AAJ's National College of Advocacy because the association promotes a fair and effective justice system and supports the work of attorneys in their efforts to ensure that any person who is injured by the misconduct or negligence of others can obtain justice in America's courtrooms, even when taking on the most powerful interests.
He is a Sustaining Fellow of the Roscoe Pound Institute because the institute strengthens the practice of trial law through its programs, publications and research grants, which help judges, academics and others understand a balanced view of the U.S. civil justice system. He is a member of Public Justice (formerly Trial Lawyers for Public Justice) because Public Justice fights for justice through precedent-setting and socially significant individual and class action litigation designed to enhance consumer and victims' rights, environmental protection and safety, civil rights and civil liberties, workers' rights, America's civil justice system, and the protection of the poor and powerless.
Mr. Kleinpeter serves on the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Capital Area Community Partnership Panel because it preserves, honors and improves our system of justice by promoting efforts which enhance the legal profession, increases public understanding of the legal system, and advances the reality of equal justice under the law.
Bob has been honored by his colleagues with an AV Peer Review Rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. The AV Rating is the highest one can achieve for legal qualifications and ability, and for standards of professional conduct, reliability, and diligence. He has been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers® 2007, Super Lawyers® 2008, Super Lawyers®, 2009, Super Lawyers® 2010 and Super Lawyers® 2011 in the area of products liability law. He is frequently interviewed by national and local print and electronic media as a source for current legal issues such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Lawyer's Weekly, The National Law Journal, Times Picayune, the Advocate, and other sources.
Areas of Practice
Wrongful Death
Unsafe Work Practices
Unsafe Products
Toxic Exposure
Motor Vehicle Collisions
Drunk Driving Accidents
Trucking Accidents
Traumatic Brain Injury
Worker’s Compensation
Jones Act/Maritime Law
Boating Accidents
Environmental Litigation
Occupational Disease
Trial Practice
Appellate Practice
100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
Louisiana, 1976
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, 1982
U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana, 1978
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1984
Education
Louisiana State University Law Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1976 J.D.
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1973
Major: Political Science
Minor: Psychology and Philosophy
Published Works
The Advocate Daubert "Observations" Are Just That, The Advocate, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Defendant Discovery of Non-Parties, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Billiot Overruled, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Doerr Closes Abuse of the Total Pollution Exclusion, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Know When Daubert Applies, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Summary Judgment and Expert Testimony, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Medical Causation and Reliability, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Medical Causation in the Fifth Circuit, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
FIFRA Doesn't Mandate Preemption, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Occupational Diseases: No Remedy, No Indemnity, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Learned Intermediary, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Medical Monitoring in Louisiana, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Substantial Factor, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Stigma Damage to Property, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association
Back to the Future, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2005
The Bottom Line, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2006
Corporations Rising, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2006
Defending Judges, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2006
A Short History of Expert Testimony in Federal Courts, Louisiana Association for Justice Daubert Book Chapters, 2008
Daubert as Applied in Louisiana State Courts, Louisiana Association for Justice Daubert Book Chapters, 2008
Protecting Expert Opinions, Louisiana Association for Justice Daubert Book Chapters, 2008
Daubert and Motion Practice, Louisiana Association for Justice Daubert Book Chapters, 2008
"Around The Bar", Environmental Privileges, Foxes in the Henhouse, Baton Rouge Bar, 2003
Environmental Practice Guide, Chapter 60, Matthew Bender & Co., Louisiana Chapter
Exemplary Damages in Louisiana, Toxic Law Reporter, Bureau of National Affairs
Representative Cases
McGehee v. Benton, 2007 WL 2685582, 2006-2335 (La.App. 1 Cir 2007) Gaunt v. Louisiana Citizens Property Ins. Corp., 512 F.Supp.2d 493, WL (E.D.La. 2007)
Coulon v. Witco Corp., 848 So.2d 135, 2003 WL 21230555, 03-208 (La.App. 5 Cir. 5/28/03)
Wingfield v. State of Louisiana, et al., 835 So.2d 785 (La.App. 1 Cir. 2002)
Poisso v. Formosa Plastics Group, 994 F.Supp. 743, 1998 WL69399 (M.D., La. 1998)
Brown v. Hudson, 700 So.2d 932, 1997 WL 600728,96 2087 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1997)
Couvillion v. Shelter Mutual Ins. Co., 672 So.2d 277, 1996 WL 155285, 951186 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1996)
Manuel v. Shell Oil Co., 664 So.2d 470, WL 609394, 94-590 (La.App.5 Cir. 1995)
LeBlanc, Jr. v. Cajun Painting Inc. et al., 654 So.2d 800, 94 CA 1609 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1995)
Egros v. Pempton, 606 So.2d 780, 92-C-0306 (1992)
Doe v. Smith, 573 So.2d 238, 1990 WL 211384 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1990)
Babin v. Burnside Terminal, Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission, et al., 577 So.2d 90 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1990)
Robinson v. Pearah, 525 So.2d 107, 1998 WL 16003 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1988)
Checki v. Webb, 785 F.2d 534 (C.A.5) (La.) 1986)
Department of Corrections, Hunt Correctional Center v. Morgan, 469 So.2d (La.App. 1 Cir. 1985)
Lambert v. Mutual Life Inc. Co. of New York, 431 So.2d 23 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1983)
Graham v. Stauffer Chemical Co., 585 F.Supp. 548 (E.D. La. 1984)
Moazzami v. Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University, et al., 424 So.2d
1112, 8 Ed. Law Rep. 906, (La.App. 1 Cir. 1982)
Representative Classes/Seminars Taught:
Introduction to Toxic Torts, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2001
Recent Trends in Toxic Torts, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2003
Non-Case Factors Affecting Medical Causation, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2003
Medical Causation, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2004
Prejudice Affecting Medical Causation, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2004
Medical Causation in Louisiana: Law and Prejudice, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2004
Proving Your Case to Judgment, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2001 - 2004
A Guide to Louisiana's New Rules of Professional Conduct, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association , 2004
Legal Ethics for Plaintiff Attorneys, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2004
Litigating Against the State From the Plaintiff's Perspective, Baton Rouge Bar Association, 2004
Managing Your Office to Stay Out of Trouble, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2005 - 2006
Recent Changes to the Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct and the Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement, TrialSmith Webinar, 2006
Current Perspectives in Medical Causation, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2006 - 2008
Jury Selection: A Primer on Voir Dire, Baton Rouge Bar Association, 2007
Jury Selection In Civil Cases, Baton Rouge Bar Association, 2007
Ethics, Louisiana Association for Justice, 2007
Litigation Funding, TrialSmith Webinar, December, 2007, 2008
Introducing Damages in Voir Dire, Louisiana Association for Justice, April, 2008
Developments in Expert Testimony, Louisiana Association for Justice, September, 2008
Preparing and Presenting Expert Testimony, Louisiana Association for Justice, December, 2008
Current Perspectives in Professionalism, American Association for Justice, February, 2009
The Great Debates, Louisiana State Bar Association, The Great Debates, June 11, 2009
Expert Testimony, Louisiana Association for Justice, October 9, 2009Honors and Awards
Super Lawyers®, 2007
Super Lawyers®, 2008
Super Lawyers®, 2009
Super Lawyers®, 2010
Super Lawyers®, 2011
Fellow, American Association for Justice's National College of Advocacy
Professional Associations and Memberships
Baton Rouge Bar Association
Louisiana State Bar Association
Louisiana Association for Justice (LAJ), 2005 - 2006 President
Louisiana Association for Justice (LAJ), 2004 - 2008 Executive Committee
Louisiana Association for Justice (LAJ), 1988 - 2007 Board of Governors
Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association (LTLA), 2002 - 2004 Council of Directors
Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association (LTLA), Toxic Tort Section, 2001 - 2002 Chair
American Association for Justice (AAJ), 2005 - 2008 Board of Governors
American Association for Justice (AAJ), 2005 - 2008 Leader's Forum
American Association for Justice (AAJ), 2003 - 2008 Sustaining Member Roscoe Pound Institute Public Justice
Public Justice
Louisiana Bar Foundation, Capital Area Community Partnership Panel, 2009
Birth Information
March 16, 1953, Houston, Texas, United States of America
Admitted to Practice
Louisiana State Bar
U.S. Court of Appeals- Fifth Circuit
U.S. District Court- Eastern District of Louisiana
U.S. District Court- Middle District of Louisiana
Direct e-mail: rek@ksbrlaw.com.
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