Robert specializes in commercial litigation handling a variety of complex disputes for individuals and companies in various forums, including state and federal court and arbitral forums such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc., and the American Arbitration Association.

He handles a variety of disputes on behalf of individuals and companies including those concerning breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, professional malpractice, partnership disputes, art law, intellectual property, defamation, usurpation of corporate opportunity claims, employment-related disputes, including breach of employment agreements and restrictive covenants, real estate-related disputes such as those stemming from rights of first refusal, cooperative and condominium disputes, construction disputes, and disputes related to enforcement of judgments, including domesticating and enforcing foreign country money judgments.

On behalf of Rottenberg Lipman Rich clients Robert has successfully:

• Defended a prominent New York art gallery in federal court against claims brought by French gallery, which alleged interference with the French gallery’s project with a prominent Chinese born artist. The case is still pending.
• Prevailed on behalf of a high-level executive and his public company employer from claims of, among other things, violation of breach of restrictive covenant by a former employer in federal court. The case resulted in a confidential settlement.
• ­Secured a confidential settlement in the prosecution of claims in a confidential arbitration by a high-frequency trading firm against a former employee for violation of restrictive covenants as well as claims against employee’s subsequent employer for theft of trade secrets.
• Obtained a favorable settlement in the prosecution of claims in state court on behalf of an assignee for the benefit of the creditors of a prominent executive search firm against the firm’s former outside legal counsel for failing to disclose to the company the syphoning of millions of dollars of firm funds by the firm’s employee to third parties, as well as prosecuting claims against former employee and third parties who received funds. The beneficial settlement was the result of achieving favorable rulings from trial and appellate courts.
• Secured a favorable trial verdict dismissing all claims of fraud and aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty in state court against a prominent art gallery owner in connection with the purchase and resale of a valuable painting by a well-known artist.
• Defended lawyers and law firms against civil claims brought by the New York State Attorney General alleging fraudulent and deceptive practices in connection with the filing of thousands of debt collection actions on behalf of a client. The case is still pending.
• Prosecuted a multi-day bench trial before a referee to determine the appropriate allocation of membership interests among members of a limited liability company resulting in a favorable ruling that clients held a substantial majority interest.
• Prosecuted claims on behalf of commercial condominium unit owner in state trial and appellate court to halt sale of a separate unit from condominium’s board of managers to a third party in violation of the client’s right of first refusal to purchase that unit under the condominium’s governing documents. In addition to obtaining a summary judgment at the trial court level, Robert successfully sustained that award on appeal wherein the court ordered the board to offer a right of first refusal to Robert’s client to purchase the unit before consummating any sale.
• Secured, at trial, of a significant monetary award in the prosecution of derivative claims by a condominium unit owner against condominium’s board of managers relating to the board’s failure to remedy numerous defects in the building and unit.
• Defended claims against a well-known Broadway licensing company in connection with the purchase of a commercial condominium unit in alleged violation of the right of first refusal. The case resulted in a favorable settlement for the client.
• Obtained a favorable settlement in defense of the board of managers of prominent New York City condominium against numerous claims by unit owners in connection with failure to effectuate repairs.
• Defended claims and pursuing counterclaims on behalf of members related to disputes under parties’ limited liability company agreement in connection with a New York City real estate development project resulting in a favorable settlement for clients.
• Prosecuted a claim to domesticate multi-million-dollar foreign country money judgment as part of a multi-forum attempt by the fund to seize assets of a defaulting obligor.

Robert attended Cornell University, where he received a B.S. in 2001 and Fordham University School of Law, where he received his J.D. in 2004.

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