McLaughlin & Stern, LLP

Biography

Mr. Robbins received his B.A. degree, cum laude, from the State University of Binghamton in 1970 and his J.D. degree, with distinction, from Cornell Law School in 1973.  He was a member of the Cornell Law Review and a member of Cornell's chapter of the honorary society of the Order of the Coif.  He joined the Manhattan firm of Seward & Kissel on his graduation from Cornell, and practiced in that firm's litigation department until 1979.  In September of that year, Mr. Robbins became a founding partner of Nitkin Alkalay Handler & Robbins.  That firm merged with McLaughlin & Stern in 1992.

Mr. Robbins practices exclusively in the field of civil litigation, including arbitration and mediation.  He has tried major cases in New York, Massachusetts, California, and has handled a wide variety of cases including anti-trust, sports and entertainment, trusts and estates, real estate, employment, discrimination and business dissolutions.  Mr. Robbins successfully defended the United States national governing body of soccer against a charge of monopolization in a major anti-trust trial.  He has tried matters in which he represented NBA players and a well known sports agent.  Mr. Robbins was successful in his representation of the plaintiffs in a Title IX action involving the scheduling of girls' sports.  The Second Circuit affirmed the District Court's ruling that plaintiffs' rights had been violated, and the decision has had an impact throughout the country on issues relating to women's sports.

Recently, Mr. Robbins obtained a seven figure verdict for the plaintiff in a trial involving the dissolution of a professional practice; represented the defendant in a successful trial defense against a multi-million claim for an alleged breach of a contract to sell securities; and obtained a judgment on behalf of the buyer of a significant painting, defeating the seller's contention that there never was an enforceable contract of sale.