DiCello Levitt Trial Center Chair Bobby DiCello Recognized Among 25 Trial Lawyers Leading the Profession in High-Stakes Trials, Verdicts, and Settlements
DiCello Levitt is proud to announce that Partner Bobby DiCello, chair of the DiCello Levitt Trial Center, has been named to Bloomberg Law’s 2026 Unrivaled Honorees list, which recognizes 25 trial lawyers who have led the legal profession in high-stakes trials, verdicts, and settlements. View Bobby’s feature online here or download a PDF here.
Bloomberg Law’s second annual Unrivaled report highlights litigators whose courtroom work has shaped major disputes and delivered meaningful results for clients. The 2026 honorees include trial lawyers from leading national firms and litigation boutiques who have distinguished themselves through strategy, advocacy, and execution in consequential matters.
Bobby, who chairs the firm’s DiCello Levitt Trial Center, was recognized for his work as lead trial counsel in Kashef, et al. v. BNP Paribas SA, et al., a bellwether case brought on behalf of Sudanese genocide survivors in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In October 2025, the trial team—which included Hausfeld LLP, Hecht Partners LLP, and Zuckerman Spaeder LLP—secured a $20.75 million jury verdict against BNP Paribas. The verdict marked the first time a U.S. jury held a global bank civilly liable for funding genocide.
DiCello Levitt’s trial team in Kashef included Bobby DiCello, Ken Abbarno, Greg Gutzler, Carrie Syme, Scott Gilmore, Mark DiCello, Adam Levitt, Joseph Frate, and Madeline Harding.
In his Bloomberg Law profile, Bobby described the trial strategy in Kashef as centered on the truth of what happened and the people represented in the case.
“The trial strategy that we used is the same we always use: We focus on the truth of what actually happened,” Bobby told Bloomberg Law. “I believe it is our responsibility to get out of the way of the facts of every case that we present, and the presentation of those facts must respect and highlight the inherent value of the people we represent.”
Bobby also emphasized that the case was not about rhetoric or performance, but about survivors of genocide and the evidence presented to the jury.
“This case was presented with one idea in mind: It was not about clever ideas or rhetoric—it was about the survivors of a genocide,” he said.
The Kashef trial required the team to present more than a decade of litigation in a matter of days while responding to extensive objections and complex documentary evidence. Bobby told Bloomberg Law that the team relied on a detailed record of depositions and documents to present the case with the accuracy, clarity, and force required by the court and the stakes of the litigation.
Bobby’s approach to trial advocacy is also reflected in his leadership of the DiCello Levitt Trial Center. The firm’s dedicated Trial Center—one of the few among plaintiffs’ firms—features courtrooms in Chicago and Cleveland and uses focus groups, mock trials, and behavioral research to refine strategy, sharpen messaging, and help deliver landmark verdicts and settlements.
When asked about the key to winning over a jury or judge, Bobby told Bloomberg Law: “Always remember that the best trial lawyer knows that it’s not about them. The goal is not to make a beautiful presentation. The goal is to vanish and let the facts of your case do the work.”
Bobby’s recognition by Bloomberg Law reflects his career-long commitment to trial advocacy, accountability, and representing people harmed by powerful institutions. His work in Kashef also continues DiCello Levitt’s record of litigating precedent-setting civil rights, human rights, mass tort, class action, and complex litigation matters in courts across the country.
About DiCello Levitt
DiCello Levitt LLP is one of the leading plaintiffs’ law firms in the United States. Nationally recognized for our work in high-stakes class actions, mass torts, and complex litigation, we have recovered more than $25 billion for clients, including individuals, businesses, and communities. We take on some of the world’s most powerful interests, pursuing justice that reshapes industries and improves lives.
Built for trial, DiCello Levitt is among the few plaintiffs’ firms with a dedicated trial center, where our acclaimed trial lawyers bring both art and science to courtroom preparation and trial strategy. We are frequently appointed to lead major multidistrict litigation (MDLs) and consistently recognized among the nation’s top plaintiffs’ firms by Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and The National Law Journal, which has named DiCello Levitt Plaintiffs’ Firm of the Year and Trial Strategy Innovation Firm of the Year.
