Bob Fitzsimmons

Bob Fitzsimmons grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia, where he attended Wheeling Central Catholic High School. He received a bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law, where he was inducted into the Heusler Honor Society.

For his success as a trial lawyer, Fitzsimmons was named one of the top 75 plaintiff’s lawyers in the country and was voted the No. 1 Super Lawyer in West Virginia. His cases have been recognized in numerous national media outlets, including ESPN, The New York Times, HBO, ABC, The New Yorker, and Frontline, as well as in the best-selling novels “Concussion” and “League of Denial.”

Fitzsimmons represented Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame Center Mike Webster in his disability lawsuit against the National Football League, the first to establish the causative link between repetitive head trauma in football and concussions, and the only reported total disability claim lost by the NFL. He later co-founded the Brain Injury Research Institute, whose mission is to study the effects of head trauma and concussions, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The BIRI’s research has played an instrumental role in encouraging the NFL to properly diagnose, manage and treat concussions. Fitzsimmons has co-authored six medical articles and a book chapter on neurological injuries. He is also a co-editor of the “Medical Legal Handbook.”

After representing WVU against Rich Rodriguez in 2011 and helping the university successfully recover the full amount of contractual liquidated damages, Fitzsimmons was appointed as a special mediator for the 29 wrongful death cases arising from the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster. He has also served as a member of the Lawyers’ Disciplinary Board and the Judicial Investigation Commission.

The Fitzsimmons family established their own Foundation in 2007, through which they have donated to numerous community and charitable causes.