Carlton Fields Shareholder Robert R. Simpson was quoted in an article in The American Lawyer following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Simpson, who co-chairs Carlton Fields’ Mass Tort and Product Liability Practice, discussed how deeply the news of Floyd’s death affected him as a Black man who has witnessed inequality throughout his life.

“When I looked at George Floyd pleading for his life, it carried the baggage I’ve carried with my entire life,” Simpson told the publication. “It could have been me. It could have been my nephew; it could have been my cousin.” 

Following Floyd’s death, Carlton Fields President and CEO Gary L. Sasso released a statement here, and members of the firm reflected on their experiences in a video available here.

READ: The American Lawyer, “‘It Could Have Been Me’: Black Attorneys Reflect on George Floyd’s Death and What Comes Next” (subscription only)

©2026 Carlton Fields, P.A. Carlton Fields practices law in California through Carlton Fields, LLP. Carlton Fields publications should not be construed as legal advice on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general information and educational purposes only, and should not be relied on as if it were advice about a particular fact situation. The distribution of this publication is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship with Carlton Fields. This publication may not be quoted or referred to in any other publication or proceeding without the prior written consent of the firm, to be given or withheld at our discretion. To request reprint permission for any of our publications, please use our Contact Us form via the link below. The views set forth herein are the personal views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the firm. This site may contain hypertext links to information created and maintained by other entities. Carlton Fields does not control or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this outside information, nor is the inclusion of a link to be intended as an endorsement of those outside sites.

Media Contact

Jump to Page

Carlton Fields, P.A. Cookie Preference Center

Your Privacy

When you visit our website, we use cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences, or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. For more information about how we use Cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Always Active

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. These cookies may only be disabled by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Functional Cookies

Always Active

Some functions of the site require remembering user choices, for example your cookie preference, or keyword search highlighting. These do not store any personal information.

Form Submissions

Always Active

When submitting your data, for example on a contact form or event registration, a cookie might be used to monitor the state of your submission across pages.

Performance Cookies

Performance cookies help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on its usage. We access and process information from these cookies at an aggregate level.

Powered by Firmseek