The Firm’s Principal Attorney

Robert Dembia was admitted to practice law in New York State in 1978. Until 1983, Robert worked for a firm on Wall Street that concentrated in Admiralty Law. In 1983, he accepted an associate position with Norman Landau, P.C. Mr. Landau was a prominent personal injury lawyer. Robert started his own practice in 1984. He has maintained an office for the practice of law in lower Manhattan since 1984. Robert Dembia, P.C., is a professional corporation that was formed in 1996. This law firm carries on the private practice developed by Robert.

Since 1984, Robert has concentrated on personal injury cases, including medical malpractice and products liability cases. In addition to a concentration on cases involving serious personal injuries to individuals, the firm handles estate litigation, real estate matters, commercial litigation, and general legal services for small corporations.

Robert has tried cases to verdict in New York, in New Jersey, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Manhattan), and in the United States Patent and Trademark Office Before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. He has handled numerous appeals in New York, New Jersey and in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States of America. He has twice won unanimous decisions from New York's highest court, the New York State Court of Appeals.

Education

Boston University, B.A., 1973, Brooklyn Law School, J.D., 1977.

Oral Arguments

Appearance in New York State Court of Appeals, May 31, 2011, Video Recording

Academic Awards and Achievements

Staff Member, Brooklyn Law Review, 1976 - 1977, Scribes Award, 1977, to the member of the graduating class for outstanding writing for the Law Review.
Nathan Burkan Memorial Competition, 1977, for a meritorious paper on the subject of Copyright Law.

Publications

Maritime Attachment Under Rule B, A Jurisdictional Disguise for an Unconstitutional Security Attachment, Brooklyn Law Review, 1977.

Professional Organizations

New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.
American Association for Justice, formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
New York County Lawyers Association.
Professional Discipline Committee, New York County Lawyers Association.

Admissions

Supreme Court of the United States of America, 1984.
Appellate Division, Supreme Court of the State of New York, 1978.
The Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1990.
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1979.
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1994.
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1978.
United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 1978.
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, 1990.
United States District Court for the District of Wisconsin, 1994.
United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, 2003.

Reported Cases

Yuko Yamamoto v. Carled Cab Corp., 66 A.D.3d 603, 888 N.Y.S.2d 29 (1st Dep't 2009), verdict for plaintiff affirmed.
Downes v. City of Mt. Vernon, No. 2009-01942 (2nd Dep't 2009), modification and affirmance of jury verdict for plaintiffs.
Midoneck v. Redd and Coach USA, Inc., et. al., New Jersey App. Div., October 21, 2008, order granting summary judgment to bus defendants reversed, complaint reinstated.
Miller Realty Associates v. Amendola, 51 A.D.3d 987 (2nd Dep't 2008).
Yamamoto v. Carled Cab Corp., Verdict Search New York, March 24, 2008, award of $175,000 made to registered nurse for injuries received in accident with a taxicab.
Jeffries v. 3520 Broadway Management Co., 36 A.D.3d 421 (1st Dep't 2007).
Kiladze v. Country-Wide Insurance Co., 40 A.D.3d 229 (1st Dep't 2007).
Downes v. City of Mount Vernon, Verdict Search, New York, July 23, 2007, page 21, accident on stairway, jury verdict in the amount of $306,656.
Romano v. Franklin Hospital Medical Center, Verdict Search, New York, March 26, 2007, page 12, settlement $650,000.00, wrongful death following intubation in emergency room.
Miller Realty Associates v. Amendola Industries, Inc., Verdict Search, New York, February 19, 2007, page 20, award of $25,547.00 for clean-up of environmental spill plus $53,574.00 attorney fees.
Lamanno v. [physician name withheld], Verdict Search, New York, January 8, 2007, page 27, settlement $850,000.00, perforation during colonoscopy.
Wong v. Goldbaum, 23 A.D.3d 277 (1st Dep't 2006).
Jeffries v. 3520 Broadway Management, et. al., Verdict Search New York, March 21, 2005, page 17, $2,508,796 unanimous jury verdict in personal injury case, also reported in Association of Trial Lawyers of America Law Reporter, April 2005, page 94, featured case, verdict reduced by trial court to $1,508,796.00.
Kastrat v. Wynnykiw, 22 A.D.3d 242 (1st Dep't 2005).
American Banana Co. v. Venezolana Internacional de Aviacion, S.A., 49 N.Y.2d 848 (1980).
Spaulding v. Benanati, 57 N.Y.2d 418 (1982).
Nagin v. Long Island Savings Bank, 99 A.D.2d 827 (2d Dep't 1984).
Touloumis v. Chalem, 156 A.D.2d 230 (1st Dep't 1989).
Metro Sports Sales, Inc. v. Spenco Medical Corporation, 676 N.Y.S.2d 492 (2d Dep't 1998).
General Electric Company v. Inter-America Marketing Systems, Inc., 220 A.D.2d 307 (1st Dep't 1995).
Engelhardt v. City of New York, 181 Misc. 2d 383 (Sup. Ct., N.Y. Co. 1999) In re Final Accounting of the Committee of the Person and Property of Geneste Gavrin, N.Y.L.J. May 16, 2002, page 19, col. 5.
Osmond Foundation v. Maria Perez, Trademark Trial and Appeals Board, No. 91114496, 5/31/02.
Mirza v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 122903 NYAPP2, 2003-19973.

Continuing Legal Education Certificates

Ethical Issues in Elder Law and Special Needs Planning, October, 2011
Hospital Liability, June, 2011
Evidence and Expert Testimony Best Practices: Supporting Your Case, May, 2011
2010 Annual Update: Precedents and Statutes for Personal Injury Litigators, February, 2011
Psychiatric & Psychological Aspects of Personal Injury, January, 2011
Proving Damages at Trial, November, 2010
A Walk Through the New Rules of Professional Conduct, September, 2010
Annual Update: Precedents & Statutes for Personal Injury Litigators, 2009
Medical Malpractice, "Winning Trial Strategies", 2009
Doctors and Their Records at Trial, 2009
Annual Update: Precedents and Statutes for Personal Injury Litigators, 2008.
Handling Your First Appeal: Conquering the Details and Learning the Art of Advocacy, 2008.
Liens, Set-Asides & Special Needs Trusts, 2008.
Protecting and Preserving the Record for Appellate Review, 2007.
Medical Malpractice Litigation in New York County Supreme Court: Key Issues Today 2007.
Precedents and Statutes for Personal Injury Litigators, 2007.
International Ethics, 2007.
The Roberts' Court: Recent and Forthcoming Decisions, 2007.
The Silica MDL: Manufacturing Diagnoses for Money, 2007.
Understanding Economic Loss Analysis, 2007.
Ethical Bounds of Aggressive Litigation, 2006.
Medical Records: Organization, Analysis and Use 2006.
Municipal Liability 2006.
Ethics for Commercial Litigators 2004, Current Developments in Federal Civil Practice 2004.
Certified Guardian, Court Evaluator, and Counsel for Alleged Incapacitated Person Training, Certification Program Approved by the Office of Court Administration, 2004.
Professional Ethics: A 2004 Practical Review, 2004.
Ethics for the Transactional Attorney, 2004.
Direct and Cross Examination of a Physician, 2004.
Trip and Fall Cases, 2004.
Ethics for Residential Real Estate Lawyers, 2003.
Drafting Corporate Agreements, 2003.
HIPAA: Meeting Your April 14th Deadline and Beyond, 2003.
Professional Pitfalls: Resolving Common Ethical Dilemmas, 2003.
Analyzing Financial Statements with Jaundiced Eye: Accounting and Financial Analysis for Lawyers, 2003.
Anatomy of a Deposition, 2002.
Cross Examination, 2002.
An Introduction to Civility and Ethics in Civil Litigation, 2002.
The Attorney Client Privilege at the Crossroads, Cardozo Law School, 2002.
Clarence Darrow: Crimes, Causes and the Courtroom, 2002.
Advanced Medical Malpractice Trial Techniques, 2001.
Successful Strategies for Winning Commercial Cases in New York State Courts, 2001.
The Lawyer as Virtuous Citizen, 2001.
The Ethics Challenge: Disqualification, Civil Sanctions and Contempt Proceedings, 2001.
The Expanding World of the Matrimonial Lawyer: New Cases, New Procedure and New Areas of Law, 1999.
How to Handle an Employment Discrimination Case, 1999.