Robert M. Kelso - Kightlinger and Gray LLP

Bob Kelso focuses his practice on defending policyholders, under Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) and Directors and Officers Liability Insurance (D and O) coverages, and self-insureds, from all manner of employment, constitutionally-based, statutory, tort and contract theories. Bob routinely appears before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, as well as local human relations commissions, Indiana State and Federal Courts, defending Discrimination, Wrongful Termination, Harassment, and Retaliation claims. He has served as lead counsel in a number of class action claims, raising employment-based, and other discrimination theories, including EEOC and United States Department of Justice prosecuted class-action charges and lawsuits.

Bob began his legal career as a law clerk and Assistant Corporation Counsel, defending the City of Indianapolis from contract, tort, and Constitutionally-based claims, including police-related, employment, personal injury, and statutory theories.

At Kightlinger and Gray, Bob has served as lead defense counsel in wrongful death police action and other excessive force, false arrest and malicious prosecution, Federal and State Court lawsuits against police officers and governmental entities. Bob has also defended governmental entities against employment actions, including claims of politically-based, sex, race, and other forms of discrimination.

Bob joined Kightlinger & Gray, LLP in 1984 and obtained his Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 1996. He served on the local CPCU Chapter’s Board of Directors for many years, including as President, and has served on the national CPCU’s Claims Committee. In 2009, Bob received the Central Indiana Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society’s Mark Gray Achievement Award.

Author & Speaker
Distinctions
Involvement

Presenter, "Sharing The Load - The Sharing Economy and the Challenges for Insurance" October 10, 2017 CPCU I-Day Event
Presenter, "Employers Defense of Discrimination Charges in the EEOC," Downtown Continuing Legal Education Seminar, November 2015,
Presenter, "Ethics for Labor Law Practitioners", National Business Institute (NBI), 2013
Editorial Advisory Board, Claims Advisor Magazine, 2007 - 2011
"Privacy Law: E-Discovery", Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum (ICLEF), May 14, 2009
"Current Issues in Employment Practices Liability", Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS), September 17, 2008
"Law and Technology", Claims Advisor Magazine, Spring 2008
Editor, CPCU Claims Quarterly, 2007 - 2008
"E-Discovery, Disclosures and Discovery of Electronically-Stored Information", Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society (CPCU) I-Day, 2007
"E-Discovery, Disclosures and Discovery of Electronically-Stored Information", Mutual Insurance Companies Association of Indiana, 2007

Central Indiana Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) Society’s Mark Gray Award.
AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating – by Martindale-Hubbell

Memberships

Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society (CPCU) - Board of Directors, Central Indiana Chapter, 1998-2006
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society (CPCU) - Central Indiana Chapter President, 2004-2005
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society (CPCU) - National Claims Committee, 2006-2008
Defense Research Institute (DRI)
Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana (DTCI)
Federal Bar Association
Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA)
Indianapolis Bar Association (IBA)
Lexwork
Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)