ROBERT focuses his practice on public law, finance, white collar crime, and labor and employment law. From 2006 until September 2011, he served as Director of Law for the City of Cleveland under Mayor Frank G. Jackson. In that position, Robert oversaw a 100-member legal department with 75 attorneys and was responsible for providing legal services to the Mayor, the City Council and all departments, boards and commissions of the City of Cleveland, with direct involvement in the Civil and Criminal Divisions.

Robert was a Cleveland Municipal Court Judge from 1996 to 2005, worked as an attorney for two other Cleveland law firms and was the District Director for U.S. Rep. Eric Fingerhut for two years.

He uses this substantive experience to counsel clients in his practice areas.

He has served on approximately 30 legal, civic, educational, faith-based and advocacy committees and boards, including The City of Cleveland Charter Review Commission, Literacy Cooperative of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Bar Foundation, Cleveland Bar Association, Supreme Court of Ohio’s Domestic Violence Advisory Committee and the Cleveland Summit on Education Strategy Council. He was the Co-Chair of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation and the Cleveland Municipal Court Mental Task Force. He also was also Chairman of the Cuyahoga County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council.

He was the National Association of Social Workers Ohio Chapter’s Public Citizen of the Year in 2006. In 2003, he was the recipient of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s “Justice For All” award and in 2002, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill-Cuyahoga County awarded him the Outstanding Community Leadership Award. He also received the Vision Award from the Partnership for a Safer Cleveland in 1998.

Robert joined Calfee in 2011.