Biography
Robert focuses on complex commercial, securities, accounting and corporate litigations, including major class actions, significant investigations initiated by the SEC, DOJ, FINRA, FCIC, New York Attorney General’s Office, and other federal, state and foreign regulators, and extensive counseling engagements on behalf of boards of directors and board committees regarding disclosure issues, fiduciary duties and other governance issues, and internal and governmental investigations. Robert has extensive experience defending class actions, including securities fraud litigations in both state and federal courts. He has been recognized as a leading securities lawyer by New York Super Lawyers.
Robert has represented a range of industry-leading corporations and financial institutions such as American International Group, Inc. (AIG), Arthur Andersen LLP, Comverse Technology, Merrill Lynch, the New York Stock Exchange, Verizon Communications Inc., United Health Group, General Motors Corporation’s Audit Committee, and the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.
Among his many notable engagements, Robert successfully represented AIG in myriad investigations and class and derivative litigation arising out of the financial crisis, including in connection with congressional testimony and other attendant high-profile issues. He also represented Entravision as co-lead counsel in an arbitration in which plaintiff sought $60 million under an agreement to locate certain television stations for Entravision. Robert was co-lead counsel at the seven-day arbitration trial, during which he conducted direct and cross-examinations of plaintiff’s witnesses, including the cross-examination of plaintiff’s expert regarding broadband actions. The arbitrator awarded plaintiff less than $1 million.
Robert also represented Arthur Andersen in a number of high-stakes matters. For example, he defended Arthur Andersen in a purported class action arising from the Ponzi scheme orchestrated by The Bennett Funding Group, in which he defeated class certification and ultimately negotiated a very favorable settlement. Robert also defended Arthur Andersen in a complex dispute in which plaintiffs alleged that his client aided and abetted a syndicate of co-defendant banks in wrongfully claiming ownership of an Indonesian mining concession and using it to secure a half-billion dollar loan and a one billion dollar loan guarantee from the U.S. Export-Import Bank; Robert convinced the court to deny plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction and ultimately, to grant his client’s motion to dismiss.
Robert has litigated and supervised numerous pro bono matters. He is a member of the Firm’s Nominating Committee, and is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Greenwich Hospital.
Robert received his B.A. from Fairfield University and received his J.D., cum laude, from New York Law School, where he was managing editor of the New York Law School Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Executive Board.