Best Lawyers has named individuals as Lawyers of the Year in the Philadelphia, based on their particularly high level of peer recognition.
Robert I. Whitelaw
Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel
Family Law
Robert I. Whitelaw will tell you that a 40-year career in family law, 25 of which entail managing a century-old law firm, requires energy and a strong ethic.
Whitelaw, 64, arises at 4:30 a.m., goes on a bike ride and arrives to the office by 6:15 a.m.
“Keeping more than 100 attorneys with strong personalities moving in the same direction is challenging,” he says, with a chuckle.
Whitelaw earned his JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is a fellow with the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and serves as Vice President, Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Whitelaw has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® since 1995.
He points out four tips to being successful in family law. The first is to avoid getting emotionally involved in a client’s case. Second, avoid going in too strong, too soon.
“Coming in as a gang buster usually does not work in the best interests of the client,” he says. “Younger lawyers tend not to know that. They think they are gladiators, but gladiators wind up dead on the ground of the coliseum.”
Third is patience.
“Family and divorce law moves slowly. If you’re not patient, you will drive yourself crazy and give your clients unreasonable expectations,” Whitelaw says. “Fourth is humor; you have to be able to laugh.”
Whitelaw is actively involved in the community, and has dinner every two weeks with one of his former little brothers in the Big Brothers and Sisters of Philadelphia program.
“My ‘little’ brother is now 26, and the father of three children,” Whitelaw says.
For more info go to www.law.com/philadelphiabest
–Ashley Cisneros
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Ashley Cisneros is a co-founder of Chatter Buzz Media, an Orlando Internet marketing firm that helps companies and organizations engage with their target markets through inbound marketing via the Internet. Chatter Buzz Media, which won the Social Madness competition for the Orlando small business market, is a full-service digital marketing firm specializing in website design, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing and content creation. Prior to founding Chatter Buzz, Ashley worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, technical writer, marketing manager, public relations practitioner and freelance journalist. To see Ashley’s content writing, visit www.ashleycisneros.com. You can also reach Ashley on her Google profile.
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