Robert T. Dassow was born in Sheboygan Wisconsin on January 4, 1965. He was admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1990. He is a graduate of Beloit College (BA Economics; Concentration Biochemistry, 1987). While there he was a Volrath Scholar and played three sports: basketball (captain), baseball, and tennis (captain). He lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with his wife Kathy (J.D. Indiana University, 1993 Summa Cum Laude) who also assists Rob on special projects, and their three children Reid (30), Jack (27) (J.D. Loyola University, 2023), and Ellie (26) (J.D. Harvard University, 2024).
Robert graduated from Valparaiso University School of Law (J.D. 1990) where he was an Articles Editor for the Law Review. He was also an Adjunct Professor of Business Law at Valparaiso University. He was also a Summer Intern for Chief Judge Loren A. Smith, U.S. Court of Federal Claims (formerly U.S. Claims Court). Rob not only is admitted to practice before all of the Federal and State Courts in Indiana but has also actively practiced in numerous State and Federal Courts across the country including the United States Court of Federal Claims.
Rob is one of the four partners of Hovde Dassow + Deets, an Indianapolis based law firm with over 50 years of experience in litigating complex defective product, personal injury cases, and wrongful death cases. Previously, he was a partner of the law firm of Siegel Carter & Dassow, and prior to that an associate at the law firm of Locke Reynolds. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with a concentration in Biochemistry from Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin, and a Juris Doctor degree from Valparaiso University in 1990, where he was Editor of the Valparaiso Law Review and a Professor of Business Law at Valparaiso University. He is currently a Member of the American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, Indiana Bar Foundation, American Association for Justice, Litigation Counsel of America, and a Board Member of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association.
Mr. Dassow is admitted to practice before the bar in Indiana and admitted in the Northern and Southern District Courts of Indiana. He is also admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Rob is also admitted pro hac vice to practice in California, New Jersey, Tennessee, New York, Alabama, Louisiana, and New Mexico. He has represented thousands of clients in various mass torts, class actions, and other multidistrict litigation including third party payor litigation. While not a complete list, he has represented clients in the following mass tort cases:
In Re: Diet Drug Litigation, In Re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation, In Re: Bextra Products Litigation, In Re: Avandia Products Liability Litigation, In Re: Trasylol Products Liability Litigation, In Re: Chantix Products Liability Litigation, In Re: Fosamax Products Liability Litigation, In Re: Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch Products Liability Litigation, In Re: Depuy Orthopaedics, Inc. Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, In Re: Premarin/Prempro Products Liability Litigation, In Re: Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella Products Liability Litigation, In Re: Zoloft Products Liability Litigation, In Re Zyprexa Products Liability Litigation, In Re Transvaginal Mesh Products Liability Litigation, In Re Zimmer NexGen Knee Replacement Products Liability Litigation, In re Testosterones Replacement Therapy Products Liability Litigation, In re Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products, In Re: Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) Products Liability Litigation, In Re: Depuy Orthopaedics, Inc., Marketing, Sales Practices, Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Litigation, Juul Litigation, Elmiron Litigation, Intuitive Surgical Da Vinci Robot and Products Liability Litigation, and RCA class action litigation.
For multiple years, Mr. Dassow has been selected Best Lawyers in America, Top 100 Plaintiff's Lawyer, Top 25 Mass Tort Lawyers, and a Super Lawyer in Mass Torts and Class Actions.
In 2013, Mr. Dassow was selected as National Liaison counsel for the Biomet Hip Implant Litigation where more than 2,000 cases were settled for an amount in excess of $160,000,000.00.
Mr. Dassow has also been co-lead in In Re Raptiva Litigation in Alameda County, California; a mass tort case involving a biologic agent used to treat psoriasis in 2015. He has served as Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel in the Indiana State Court for the MDL 2545- Testosterone Replacement Therapy Production Liability Litigation in Illinois. Rob was also designated as co-trial counsel for Third Party Payor Claims in the Vioxx litigation.
In July 2018, Mr. Dassow was a member of the trial team with the Lanier Law Firm helped secure a $4.69 billion verdict on behalf of 22 women who alleged that decades of daily use of Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products have been laced with asbestos for decades, despite denials the company made to the federal Food and Drug Administration and others. Most proudly, as a result of the litigation, Johnson and Johnson removed Johnson’s baby powder from the market.
In May of 2019, Rob received a verdict of $11,600,000.00 in Gulf Shores, Alabama on behalf of a 24-year-old client who was rendered a quadriplegic after diving into shallow water. At trial, we successfully argued the Defendant's sales and marketing created the impression that the property was safe for diving and other water activities. Further, the existing warning was inadequate to advise renters of the dangerously shallow nature of the Little Lagoon.
In January 2020, Rob and his team obtained a $42,000,000.00 settlement with a national trucking company for the families of two people killed in a trucking crash in New Mexico.
In February 2023, Rob and his team obtained a $77,000,000.00 judgment and $6,500,000 punitive damage award against Edkar Pilot Car Services in a semi-tractor truck wrongful death of a driver and a young passenger.
Mr. Dassow is currently serving on the Plaintiff's Steering Committee for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Student-Athlete Concussion Injury Litigation-Single Sport/Single School (Football), MDL 2492, in the United States District Court Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.
Professional Associations
American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
Indianapolis Bar Association, Member
Indiana State Bar Association, Member
American Bar Association, Fellow
Young Entrepreneur Organization, Member
Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, Board Member
Federal Bar Association, Fellow
American Association for Justice
Biomet Hip MDL 2391, National Liaison Counsel
Litigation Counsel of America
Honors
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 for work in: Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
Indiana Super Lawyers Mass Torts and Class Actions, 2010 - Present
National Trial Lawyers Top 100, 2000 - Present
Top 25 Mass Tort Lawyers
Classes & Seminars
Adjunct Professor, Business Law at Valparaiso University
Past Positions
Chief Judge, Loron A. Smith, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Summer Intern
Valparaiso University, Associate Professor, Business Law, 1989 to 1990
Siegel, Carter & Dassow, 1997 to 1998
Locke Reynolds, Associate, 1990 to 1997
