Ron Kilgard

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Ron Kilgard: Attorney with Keller Rohrback L.L.P.
Attorney Awards
  • Martindale-Hubbell Peer AV Preeminent Rating
About Attorney Awards

Biography

Ron Kilgard is a 45-year civil litigation lawyer.

Over a long career, he has handled all manner of civil cases, from routine automobile accidents and two-party contract disputes of no interest to anyone but the parties, to multi-million-dollar class actions covered in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. For the last 20 years, Ron has mostly litigated pension plan class actions. Ron helped Keller Rohrback pioneer company stock ERISA litigation in the late 1990s and early 2000s; he was part of the team that obtained settlements of over $265 million in the Enron 401(k) litigation. In 2017, after six years of litigation, Ron prevailed in an action challenging as unconstitutional the cutbacks to the pensions of Arizona state court judges. That same year, Ron began representing pro bono, and is still representing, a client fleeing gang-related violence in El Salvador. More recently is he part of the firm’s team in the national opioid litigation.

Ron clerked for the Hon. Mary M. Schroeder, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in 1979-80. He was one of the lawyers who formed the Phoenix office of Keller Rohrback L.L.P. in November 2002. In 2023 he moved to New York, where he continues to practice for the firm.

Articles & Presentations

•Speaker, New Developments in Church Plan Litigation, ACI National Forum on ERISA Litigation (2015-2017).
•Speaker, Fiduciary Implications of Company Stock Lawsuits, National Center for Employee Ownership (2012 and 2013).
•Speaker, West LegalWorks ERISA Litigation Conference (2007).
•Speaker, Company Stock Litigation, Chicago Bar Association (2006).
•Speaker, After Enron, ABA Seminar (2006).

Recognitions

Honors & Awards

•Best Lawyers in America, Phoenix, Arizona, 2026 (Recognized since 2013):
•Appellate Practice
•Commercial Litigation
•Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
•Litigation - ERISA
•Litigation - Labor and Employment
•Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, 2018 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year (adult cases)

See more ›

Areas of Practice (6)

  • Appeals
  • Class Action & Complex Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Employee Benefits & Retirement Security (Erisa)
  • Employment Law
  • Opioid Litigation

Education & Credentials

University Attended:
Harvard College, B.A., History, cum laude, 1973; Harvard Divinity School, M.T.S., Old Testament, 1975
Law School Attended:
Arizona State University College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, Editor-in Chief, Arizona State Law Journal, Armstrong Award (outstanding graduate), 1979
Year of First Admission:
1979
Admission:
1979, Arizona Supreme Court; 1979, U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona; 1982, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; 1995, U.S. Supreme Court; 2005, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; 2005, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; 2007, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan; 2009, District of Columbia Court of Appeals; 2010, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; 2010, U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota; 2011, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division; 2012, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York; 2013, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado; 2013, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit; 2014, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; 2014, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit; 2015, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; 2015, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; 2016, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois; 2016, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma; 2016, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri; 2016, U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois; 2016, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana; 2017, Executive Office for Immigration Review; 2019, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York; 2023, Eastern District of New York
Memberships:

Professional and Civic Involvement

State Bar of Arizona, Member

District of Columbia Bar, Member

New York State Bar Association, Member

National Immigrant Justice Center, Pro Bono Counsel

Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, Pro Bono Counsel

Birth Information:
Phoenix, Arizona, 1949
Reported Cases:
Current Cases: Advocate Health Care Network; Ascension Health and Ascension Health Alliance; Saint Peter's Healthcare System; St. Anthony's; Trinity Health Corporation ( Trinity )
ISLN:
905894285

Peer Reviews

5.0/5.0 (1 review)
Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent Rating Badge

  • Legal Knowledge

    5.0/5.0

  • Analytical Capability

    5.0/5.0

  • Judgment

    5.0/5.0

  • Communication

    5.0/5.0

  • Legal Experience

    5.0/5.0
Peer reviews submitted prior to 2008 are not displayed.

Client Reviews Write a Review

Location

Contact Ron Kilgard

Contact Information:

971-414-5555  Phone

602-248-2822  Fax

www.krcomplexlit.com/attorney/ron-kilgard

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