Robert Zachary Dobrish

Robert Z. Dobrish was the Senior and Managing Partner of his own prestigious law firm before joining Cohen Clair as Of Counsel. He is one of the most distinguished and well-respected family lawyers in New York; a recognized excellent trial lawyer and a highly creative thinker. He frequently writes and lectures on issues of significance to the Bench and Bar. His articles and book reviews have been published in the New York Law Journal, The Family Law Review, and other publications.

Before moving into matrimonial law, Mr. Dobrish practiced corporate law and then transitioned into criminal defense, where he honed his courtroom skills. After a number of years, he found himself drifting toward matrimonial law where he found his niche and quickly began a rise to the top. In 1973, when New York Magazine first named the Best Lawyers in New York, he was one of only seven family lawyers who were included and he has been on the list each year since. He has been included in Best Lawyers in America for nearly 40 years and has been designated a Super Lawyer since its inception. Martindale Hubbell has consistently given him an A-V rating, its highest.

During the last four decades,Mr. Dobrish has been a continuous presence on the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, as well as the Board of Managers of the New York Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He has been on the Matrimonial Law Committee of the New York City Bar on three occasions and served on its Judiciary Committee. He served as the Chair of the Matrimonial Law Committee of the New York County Bar Association and was an Adjunct Professor of Family Law at Benjamin Cardozo Law School. In addition, he was one of the founders of the Interdisciplinary Forum on Family Law and Mental Health as well as the Judicial Roundtable of the New York Chapter AAML, which he moderates annually.

But more than his academic and journalistic accomplishments, Mr. Dobrish has successfully represented both the rich and famous as well as needy individuals and children, sometimes expanding or making new law while doing so. He has tried numerous contested custody cases and large significant financial cases in both New York and Connecticut, achieving favorable results for clients which have sometimes been out of the ordinary. He is well know both for his sensitivity to resolve matters and for his courtroom style.

Mr. Dobrish received his college degree from Columbia College and his JD from NYU Law School where he was a John Norton Pomeroy Scholar. He resides in Manhattan with his wife.