Robert Morel Montgomery Jr. (June 9, 1930 – 3 August 2008) was an American
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
known for winning huge settlements, including ''State of Florida v. American Tobacco Co., et al.'', where the
tobacco industry agreed to pay $11.3 billion to recover
Medicaid expenses for
smoking-related diseases.
Montgomery was born in
Birmingham, Alabama, where his father was a
criminal defense lawyer. He graduated from
University of Alabama, becoming a member of the
Sigma Chi fraternity, then spent two years in the
United States Army. He earned his law degree from
University of Florida Law School
The University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law (UF Law) is the law school of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest operating public law school in Florida, and second oldest overall ...
under the
G.I. Bill.
After representing insurance companies, he switched to litigating on behalf of
plaintiffs, frequently taking high-profile cases. When
Kimberly Bergalis
Kimberly Ann Bergalis (January 19, 1968 – December 8, 1991) was an American woman who was one of six patients purportedly infected with HIV by dentist David J. Acer, who was infected with HIV and died of AIDS on September 3, 1990.Lambert, ...
contracted AIDS from her dentist, Montgomery won an undisclosed settlement. He won an estate settlement of $10.5 million a year for Kathleen DuRoss Ford, third wife of
Henry Ford II. He represented
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture.
Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...
in his divorce from
Loni Anderson. Though a Democrat, Montgomery represented longtime friend
Theresa LePore
Theresa LePore is a former Supervisor of Elections for Palm Beach County, Florida. She designed the infamous "butterfly ballot" used in the 2000 presidential election. This would lead the press to nickname her "Madame Butterfly". Following the ...
, whose "
butterfly ballot
A ballot is a device used to cast votes in an election and may be found as a piece of paper or a small ball used in secret voting. It was originally a small ball (see blackballing) used to record decisions made by voters in Italy around the 16t ...
" design in Palm Beach County came under fire during the
2000 United States presidential election
The 2000 United States presidential election was the 54th quadrennial United States presidential election, presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 2000. Republican Party (United States), Republican candidate George W. Bush, the gover ...
.
He died at the
Mayo Clinic
The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...
in
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic.
Acco ...
.
[Martin, Douglas (August 6, 2008)]
Robert Montgomery, 78, a Big-Case Lawyer, Dies.
'' New York Times''
References
1930 births
2008 deaths
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