

He has over 30 years’ experience as an appellate practitioner and more than 25 published (and scores of unpublished) appellate opinions to his name. Robert has won twice in the California Supreme Court, and notably represented the successful respondent in In re Marriage of Ostler and Smith (1990) 223 Cal.App.3d 33, a seminal case that established the method California courts use every day to calculate division of bonus income.
Robert has remained a certified appellate specialist for more than two decades. In addition to family law appeals, he has substantial experience handling probate, real property, business transaction, tort insurance, admiralty, and State Bar appeals.
He also has extensive experience as an appellate mediator.
Robert is a Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent-rated attorney, is listed in U.S News & World Report’s Best Lawyers in America, and has been repeatedly selected as a SuperLawyer in Northern California.
He served on the Law Review.
DePaul University, College of the Law
Super Lawyer Super Lawyers Magazine
Best Lawyer Best Lawyers Magazine
AV Preeminent Martindale Hubbell
California
U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
Appellate Law
Spousal support reversed as not comporting with marital standard of living. Child support reversed. Denial of attorney fees reversed because financial disparity between parties made fee award mandatory. New standard created for tracing commingled property.
Reversing Court of Appeal determination of marital community interest in CalPERS military service retirement credits.
Reversing trial court and Court of Appeal apportionment of community property interest in spouse’s CalPERS retirement accounts.
Won landmark case authorizing child and spousal support based on a percentage of supporting spouse bonus income.
This article originally appeared in the January 2020 issue of Los Angeles Lawyer. …
This article originally appeared in the Summer/Fall 2018 issue of ACFLS Family Law …
This article originally appeared in the Daily Journal on August 21, 2017. Change …