Robert A. Spolzino

Robert A. Spolzino is a Partner in the New York, White Plains and Garden City offices of Wilson Elser.  He re-joined Wilson Elser in 2009 after eight years as Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, his last five spent as a Justice of the Appellate Division, New York’s intermediate appellate court. 

Bob’s practice concentrates on appellate matters, municipal, commercial and environmental litigation and attorney disciplinary proceedings.  He is the firm’s Senior Appellate Counsel.

As a Justice of the Appellate Division, Bob decided approximately 5,000 appeals, 10,000 appellate motions and 2,000 attorney disciplinary proceedings.  He authored major opinions for the court in such diverse areas as the fiduciary obligations of corporate officers, the liability of cruise lines for injuries to passengers, rent regulation, the benefits due disabled firefighters and the liability for their injuries, environmental impact review and church property disputes.  Several of his dissents led to reversals by the Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court.

As an Adjunct Professor at Pace University School of Law, Bob teaches environmental law.  He has also lectured at the New York State Judicial Institute and for various bar associations, including the New York State Bar Association, the Westchester County Bar Association, the Westchester Women’s Bar Association and the Pace Women’s Justice Center.

During his tenure on the bench, Bob served by appointment of the Chief Judge of the State of New York as a member of the Commission to Promote Public Confidence in Judicial Elections (the Feerick Commission), the Matrimonial Commission (the Miller Commission), which was created to examine and recommend reforms with respect to the divorce litigation process in New York, and the New York State Advisory Committee on Bar Admissions.  He is a Fellow of the New York Bar Foundation and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Northern Westchester Hospital and the Board of Directors of Stellaris Health Network. 

Prior to his judicial service, Bob was with Wilson Elser from 1999 to 2001.  He served as counsel to various governmental and private clients in matters involving municipal, environmental and land use law and related litigation.  Bob was also the Village Attorney of the Village/Town of Mount Kisco in Westchester County, New York, from 1987 to 1995.  Before that he was the confidential law secretary to Appellate Division Justice Leon D. Lazer and to Westchester County Court Judge Kenneth H. Lange.