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Robert H. Klonoff, Professor
Arbitrator • Mediator • Special Master • Expert Witness Class Actions and Multidistrict Litigation • Mock Trials and Appellate Strategy • Corporate Investigations
Download Bio Contact Case ManagerRobert H. Klonoff is a FedArb arbitrator, mediator, special master and expert witness whose practice focuses on class actions, federal multidistrict litigation (MDL), attorneys’ fees and complex litigation. A former Jones Day partner and Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States, he brings experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in more than 100 class actions and MDLs. His FedArb services also include mock trials, moot courts, appellate strategy and corporate investigations.
Professor Klonoff’s experience spans class certification, settlement approval, discovery, case management and attorneys’ fees. Courts have cited his expert testimony in decisions addressing certification, the fairness of class action settlements and fee awards. His work in major litigation includes the BP Deepwater Horizon, NFL concussion, Volkswagen clean diesel and Equifax data breach matters, as well as JUUL, National Association of Realtors and NCAA litigation.
He has argued eight cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, argued dozens of cases in other federal and state appellate courts, and served as trial counsel in dozens of matters, primarily jury trials. He assists with trial and appellate strategy, briefing and oral argument preparation, drawing on decades of discovery work and extensive collaboration with testifying and consulting experts in economics, securities, medicine, science and other disciplines.
Professor Klonoff is Dean Emeritus and the Jordan D. Schnitzer Professor of Law at Lewis & Clark Law School, where he served as dean from 2007 to 2014. A co-author of Wright & Miller’s Federal Practice and Procedure, he has sole responsibility for its three class action volumes. His publications include the 2026 Federal Multidistrict Litigation hornbook, co-authored with Bradt, Caldwell and Lahav, and updated 2026 editions of his books on class actions, MDL and U.S. law.
In 2025, he received the Oregon State Bar Award of Merit, the bar’s highest honor. He serves on the American Law Institute Council and chairs its Development Committee. Appointed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., he served the maximum six-year term as the sole academic member of the federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules and played a major role in drafting the 2018 amendments to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23.
Before entering full-time academia, Professor Klonoff was a partner in Jones Day’s Washington, D.C., office and chaired the firmwide pro bono program. Earlier, he served as an Assistant to the Solicitor General and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., following a clerkship with Chief Judge John R. Brown of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He previously held the Douglas Stripp/Missouri Endowed Professorship at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law and taught at Georgetown University Law Center and the University of San Diego School of Law. He has lectured at universities and professional conferences throughout the United States and internationally.
Areas of Expertise
- Appellate Litigation, including Strategy, Briefing and Oral Argument Preparation
- Attorneys’ Fees and Legal Ethics
- Business and Commercial Disputes
- Civil Rights
- Class Actions, Complex Litigation and Mass Torts
- Federal Multidistrict Litigation (MDL)
- Consumer Disputes and Product Liability
- Data Breaches
- Employment Disputes and Discrimination
- Environmental Disputes, including CERCLA
- Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Personal Injury
- Insurance and Reinsurance
- Regulatory and Compliance Matters
- Securities Fraud and Financial Services
- Trial Litigation, including Strategy, Briefing, Civil Procedure, Discovery and Case Management
Representative Matters
The matters below reflect Professor Klonoff’s work as an expert witness or litigation counsel.
Expert Witness Testimony
- AT&T Mobility Wireless Data Services Sales Tax Litig. MDL (tax/consumer; ND Ill.)
- Ben-Hamo v. Facebook (social media; Israeli trial court)
- British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon MDL (environmental; ED La.)
- In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Ill.)
- Chinese-Manufactured Drywall Litig. MDL (attorneys’ fees; ethics; ED La.)
- Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep EcoDiesel Marketing, Sales Practices & Products Liability Litig. (consumer; ND Cal.)
- Doan v. State Farm Insurance (attorneys’ fees; insurance; California state trial court)
- Equifax Data Breach Litig. MDL (data breach; ND Ga.)
- NFL Concussion MDL (mass tort; ED Pa.)
- Parkland Shooting Civil Litigation (S.D. Fla.)
- Robichaux v. State of Louisiana (environmental; Louisiana state trial court)
- State of Louisiana & Vermilion Parish School Board v. Louisiana (environmental; Louisiana state trial court)
- Syngenta Genetically Modified Corn MDL (attorneys’ fees; various federal and state claims; D. Kan.)
- Thacker v. Farmers Insurance (attorneys’ fees; insurance; Colorado state trial court)
- Volkswagen Clean Diesel MDL (consumer; environmental; ND Cal.)
- Wells Fargo Unauthorized Accounts (attorneys’ fees; consumer; N.D. Cal.)
- JUUL product liability litigation
- National Association of Realtors MLS antitrust litigation
- NCAA antitrust litigation
Counsel for Plaintiffs
- Avandia Marketing Sales Practices & Products Liability Litigation (consumer; co-counsel for plaintiffs in US Supreme Court)
- Briseno v. Conagra Foods (consumer; co-counsel for plaintiffs in 9th Cir. and US Supreme Court)
- Conroy v. Aniskoff (tax; co-counsel for taxpayer Conroy in US Supreme Court)
- Dole Foods v. Watts (fraud; co-counsel for plaintiff Dole Foods in 9th Cir.)
- Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Allapattah Serv., Inc. (personal injury; federal jurisdiction; co-counsel for plaintiffs in consolidated Star-Kist case in US Supreme Court)
- Gonzalez v. Owens Corning (consumer; co-counsel for plaintiffs in 3d Cir.)
- Kay v. Ehrler (civil rights; co-counsel for plaintiff in US Supreme Court)
- McLellan v. Fitbit (N.D. Cal.) (consumer; co-counsel for plaintiffs in ND Cal.)
- National Prescription Opioids MDL (mass torts; co-counsel for plaintiffs in ND Ohio and 6th Cir.)
- Rikos v. Procter & Gamble (consumer; co-counsel for plaintiffs in US Supreme Court)
- TransUnion v. Ramirez (credit reporting services; co-counsel for plaintiff class in US Supreme Court)
- Aqueous film-forming foams product liability litigation (co-counsel for plaintiffs)
- Social media MDL litigation (co-counsel for plaintiffs)
- Marriott data breach litigation (co-counsel for plaintiffs)
Counsel for Defendants and Respondents
- Campbell v. Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (contract; co-counsel for defendant in 6th Cir.)
- Delgado v. Shell Oil Co, et al. (mass tort; co-counsel for defendant Dole Foods in SD Tex. and 5th Cir.)
- Engle v. Liggett Group, et al. (mass tort; co-counsel for RJ Reynolds in Fla. District Ct. of Appeals and Fla. Sup. Ct.)
- Feder v. Electronic Data Systems (securities fraud; co-counsel for defendant in ED Tex. and 5th Cir.)
- Firestone Tread Separation MDL (consumer; co-counsel for Firestone in SD Indiana and 7th Cir.)
- Ghoshtagore v. Westinghouse Elec. Corp. (employment discrimination; co-counsel for defendant in D. Md. and 4th Cir.)
- Lady v. Neal Glasser Marine, Inc. (consumer; co-counsel for defendant in 5th Cir.)
- Lemmer v. Nu-Kote Holding Inc. (securities fraud; co-counsel for defendant in ND Tex. and 5th Cir.)
- McGuire v. International Paper (mass tort; co-counsel for defendant in SD Miss.)
- McLaughlin Group v. American Tobacco Co., et al. (RICO; co-counsel for RJ Reynolds in 2d Cir.)
- Mueller v. CBS (employment discrimination; co-counsel for defendant in ED Pa.)
- Patrickson v. Dole Food, et al. (mass torts; co-counsel for defendant in 9th Cir.)
- Penn Ass’n of Independent Agents v. Foster (insurance; co-counsel for USAA in Pa. Commonwealth Court)
- Thiessen v. General Electric Capital Corp. (employment discrimination; co-counsel for defendant in D. Kan. and 10th Cir.)
- Zishka v. American Pad & Paper (securities fraud; co-counsel for defendant in ND Tex. and 5th Cir.)
- Gentile v. Nevada Bar (legal ethics; First Amendment; co-counsel for the Nevada Bar in US Supreme Court)
Professional Recognition and Leadership
- Oregon State Bar Award of Merit, the bar’s highest honor (2025)
- Leo Levinson Award for Excellence in Teaching, Lewis & Clark Law School (2020)
- Co-recipient, District of Columbia Bar Frederick B. Abramson Award for Superior Service to the Community (1998, 1987, 1986, 1985, 1984)
- Four Attorney General’s Special Achievement Awards for work as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Assistant to the Solicitor General (1984–1987)
- Council member and Development Committee chair, American Law Institute
- Associate Reporter, American Law Institute’s Principles of the Law of Aggregate Litigation
- Fellow, American Academy of Appellate Lawyers
- Elected member, International Association of Procedural Law
- Member, U.S. Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules (2011–2017), appointed and reappointed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
Selected Publications
Books
- Federal Multidistrict Litigation (West Academic, Hornbook Series, 2026) (with Bradt, Caldwell and Lahav)
- Class Actions and Other Multi-Party Litigation in a Nutshell (West Academic, 7th ed. 2026)
- Federal Multidistrict Litigation in a Nutshell (West Academic, 2nd ed. 2026)
- Introduction to the Study of U.S. Law (West Academic, 3rd ed. 2026)
- Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure, Vols. 7A, 7AA and 7B (co-author with sole ongoing responsibility for the class action volumes)
- Federal Appellate Practice in a Nutshell (West Academic, 3rd ed. 2023) (with Gregory A. Castanias)
- Class Actions and Other Multi-Party Litigation: Cases and Materials (West, 4th ed. 2017) (with teacher’s manual)
- Winning Jury Trials: Trial Tactics and Sponsorship Strategies (NITA, 3rd ed. 2007) (co-author)
- Complex Litigation: Class Actions, Multidistrict Litigation, and Other Aggregate Dispute Resolution (West Casebook Series, forthcoming) (with Cabraser, Glover and Rave)
Articles and Book Chapters
- Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(f): Reflections After a Quarter Century, 75 Syracuse L. Rev. 185 (2025)
- Objections to Class Action Settlements: Ethical Considerations, in Class Actions and Other Complex Litigation: Ethics (LexisNexis 2025)
- COVID-19 Aggregate Litigation: The Search for the Upstream Wrongdoer, 91 Fordham L. Rev. 385 (2022)
- International Handbook on Class Actions, chapter on the Future of U.S. Aggregate Litigation, Cambridge University Press (2021)
- The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, The Virtues of Unfettered Discretion, 89 UMKC L. Rev. 1003 (2021)
- Class Action Objectors: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, 89 Fordham L. Rev. 475 (2020)
- Foreword—Class Actions, Mass Torts, and MDLs: The Next 50 Years, 24 Lewis & Clark L. Rev. 359 (2020)
- Application of the New Discovery Rules in Class Actions: Much Ado About Nothing, 71 Vanderbilt L. Rev. 1949 (2018)
- Class Actions in the U.S. and Israel: A Comparative Approach, 19 Theoretical Inquiries in the Law 151 (2018) (co-author)
- Class Actions Part II: A Respite from the Decline, 92 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 971 (2017)
- Class Actions in the Year 2025: A Prognosis, 65 Emory L.J. 1569 (2016)
- Why Most Nations Do Not Have U.S.-Style Class Actions, 16 BNA Class Action Litigation Report, Vol. 16, No. 10, at 586 (May 22, 2015)
- Federal Rules Symposium: Introduction to the Symposium, 18 Lewis & Clark L. Rev. 583 (2014) (co-author)
- Class Actions for Monetary Relief Under Rule 23(b)(1)(A) and (b)(1)(B): Does Due Process Require Notice and Opt-Out Rights?, 82 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 798 (2014)
- The Decline of Class Actions, 90 Wash. U. (St. Louis) L. Rev. 729 (2013)
- Reflections on the Future of Class Actions, 44 Loy. U. Chi. L.J. 533 (2013)
- ALI’s Aggregate Litigation Project Has Global Impact, 33 ALI Reporter 7 (Fall 2010)
- The Public Value of Settlement, 78 Fordham L. Rev. 1177 (2009) (co-author)
- Making Class Actions Work: The Untapped Potential of the Internet, 69 U. Pitt. L. Rev. 727 (2008) (co-author)
- The Class Action Fairness Act: An Ill-Conceived Approach to Class Settlements, 80 Tul. L. Rev. 1695 (2006) (co-author)
- The Twentieth Anniversary of Phillips Petroleum v. Shutts, Introduction to the Symposium, 74 UMKC L. Rev. 433 (2006)
- The Adoption of a Class Action Rule: Some Issues for Mississippi to Consider, 24 Miss. C. L. Rev. 261 (2005)
- Antitrust Class Actions: Chaos in the Courts, 11 Stan. J. L. Bus. & Fin. 1 (2005)
- The Judiciary’s Flawed Application of Rule 23’s “Adequacy of Representation” Requirement, 2004 Mich. St. L. Rev. 671 (2004)
Professional and Community Service
- Member of the American Bar Association group evaluating Judge Merrick Garland’s qualifications to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court; reviewed his civil procedure opinions
- Advisory board consulting editor, Class Action Litigation Report (BNA)
- Chair, Jones Day firmwide pro bono program (2000–2003); chair, Washington, D.C., office pro bono program (1992–2000)
- Former board member, Bread for the City, a Washington, D.C., organization providing medical, legal and social services (2001–2003)
- Master, Edward Coke Appellate Practice Inn of Court, Washington, D.C. (2001–2003)
- Former board member, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (2000–2003); subsequent advisory board service
- Member, District of Columbia Court of Appeals Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law (1997–2000)
- Pro bono representation in death penalty, other criminal defense, civil rights and veterans’ rights matters
- Helped establish a free walk-in legal clinic in Washington, D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood
- Community service has included speaking at public schools and retirement homes, volunteering at a local soup kitchen, and judging the Classroom Law Project’s We the People competition
Education
- J.D., Yale Law School, 1979
- A.B., with highest honors, University of California, Berkeley, 1976