Uustal Named Best Lawyers "Lawyer of the Year

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 22, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- John J. Uustal, the founding partner of Kelley | Uustal Trial Attorneys, has been named the 2027 Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" in Mass Tort Litigation and Class Actions for Plaintiffs in the Fort Lauderdale area. This prestigious recognition comes as Kelley | Uustal Trial Attorneys celebrates its 20th anniversary, marking a significant milestone in the firm's history. The firm has a long-standing reputation for taking on high-stakes cases involving catastrophic harm, defective products, corporate misconduct, and complex commercial disputes, particularly those that other lawyers deemed too difficult, expensive, or impossible to win.

Uustal's career has been defined by his unwavering commitment to taking on these seemingly impossible cases. His work has resulted in major jury verdicts and settlements, exposing corporate misconduct, and helping to change unsafe products and practices. Uustal's recent achievements include a $82.6 million jury verdict in a breach of contract case, a $60 million verdict involving a deadly General Motors fuel-tank defect, and a $27 million product liability settlement. These victories underscore Uustal's reputation as a trailblazer in the legal field.

The award comes at a time when Kelley | Uustal Trial Attorneys is also celebrating its 20th anniversary. The firm has built its reputation on a model that focuses on taking on complex, catastrophic, and high-risk cases that conventional practices are not equipped to handle. This model is encapsulated in the Impossible Case Institute, a new law firm model founded by Uustal. The Institute's mission is to develop lawyers capable of carrying this work forward through immersive training programs and scholarships led by industry-leading trial attorneys.

Uustal's career-long conviction that the future of the plaintiffs' bar depends on developing more lawyers willing and able to take on righteous cases that others walk away from is reflected in the work of the Impossible Case Institute and the Built Different Trial Academy. The Academy, a training arm of the Impossible Case Institute, develops lawyers capable of handling the most consequential cases, which conventional practices are not built to handle.

Uustal's recent founding of the Impossible Case Institute and the Built Different Trial Academy reflects his belief that some of the most consequential cases are never filed, inadequately developed, or settled for a fraction of their value. This recognition is a testament to Uustal's leadership and the firm's commitment to excellence in the legal field.