Prior to joining Salomon Inc. as its Executive Vice President and General Counsel in September 1992, Robert was Co-Chairman of the New York law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson and University Professor of Law and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he had taught since 1965. He served as Dean of that institution for seven and a half years (1982-1989). He is now on the faculty of the James Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona.

Robert advises on corporate governance issues and has counseled special committees in the buy-outs of HCA, Aramark and Bright Horizons. He also chaired the Special Committee in the buy-out of Quadra Realty Trust. He advised the Review Committee of the JPMorgan Chase Board of Directors in connection with its review of the issues arising out of the London Whale matter and was active on the investigation of Wells Fargo Bank.

Prior to joining Salomon Inc. as its Executive Vice President and General Counsel in September 1992, Robert was Co-Chairman of the New York law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson and University Professor of Law and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he had taught since 1965. He served as Dean of that institution for seven and a half years (1982-1989).

Among his other professional activities, Robert has been General Counsel to the U.S. Treasury Department (1977-1980); Special Counsel to the Securities and Exchange Commission (1962-1963); and Vice Chairman, Governor-at-Large and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of Securities Dealers (1988-1991). He was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Quadra Realty Trust, a director of eCollege, Benjamin Moore, Gogo LLC, Hypo Real Estate Bank, Commerce Clearing House, Arnhold & S. Bleichroeder Holdings, Inc., Weeden Inc. , Union Capital Corporation and First Pennsylvania Bank. Robert is a member of the Board of Trustees of New School University, the Curtis Institute of Music and the American College of Governance Counsel. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Salzburg Global Seminar. He is an emeritus member of the Council of the American Law Institute. He chaired the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility (2008-2011). He served as a member of the ABA Task Force on Corporate Responsibility. He was the President of the American Academy in Berlin (2000-2006). He has received many recognitions of his service to the profession and society. For example: Alexander Hamilton Award, United States Treasury Department, 1980; Francis Rawle Award, ALI-ABA Committee on Continuing Professional Education, 1992; Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 2007; John Phillips Award, Phillips Exeter Academy, 2013; Lifetime Achiever Award, The American Lawyer Magazine, 2014; James Wilson Award, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 2014; Distinguished Service Award, American Law Institute, 2015; Michael Franck Professional Responsibility Award, ABA 2020.