As an experienced and adept family law litigator, Robert D. Segal represents a wide range of successful, high-net-worth individuals who operate at the pinnacle of their fields, from executives, entrepreneurs, doctors and attorneys to high-profile professionals in the public eye. He sees a common thread among these super-achievers: all struggle with the divorce process because they lose the element of control that’s so important to them in their careers. He is skilled at ensuring that his clients have a voice through all facets of their family law cases, from complex issues concerning marital dissolution, child custody, property division, asset valuation and classification matters to prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.
The financial expertise and analytical abilities Mr. Segal brings to the table is an added value to clients. He credits his Ivy League degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, with honors, and start as a lawyer in a top corporate litigation firm in Philadelphia with preparing him to handle family law matters that require sophisticated financial acumen. “Litigating commercial and securities cases developed my ability to quickly assess the entire range of complicated financial consequences, supplement my analysis with further research if necessary and provide a strategic advantage for my clients,” he maintains. Mr. Segal is known for structuring inventive and effective settlements that surmount challenging legal and factual obstacles.
Mr. Segal also brings a holistic mindset to his family law cases. He believes it is critical for clients to always keep their immediate and long-term goals in sight. “The key to navigating the divorce process is the ability to put aside destructive emotions such as hurt, anger and resentment. I work with my clients to focus objectively on the economic issues—as they would in any business negotiation. This helps them achieve an expedient, equitable and optimal, cost-effective resolution,” he says.
When it comes to child custody and child support situations, Segal works tirelessly to avoid the worst-case scenario – protracted litigation that ends up in a courtroom. “I always strive to negotiate terms of settlement instead of seeking adjudication via a contested trial,” he says. “It’s much more favorable when the parties control all aspects of their settlement. I always remind my clients of the alternative: do they really want a judge to decide where their children should principally reside, or how much time they should spend with each parent?”
Mr. Segal is widely respected by his clients and his peers in the field of matrimonial law. Clients note that his calm, good-natured demeanor sets him apart from the stereotypical divorce attorney, while among his peers he has a reputation for being forthright, ethical, fair and a tenacious advocate for his clients both in and out of the courtroom. His peers have also recognized his achievements in the practice of family law; Mr. Segal has been repeatedly named to the peer-recommended Leading Lawyer Network and Illinois Super Lawyers organizations since at or near each entity’s inception more than ten years ago.
He is also an accomplished author of numerous articles in Leading Lawyers Magazine and Crain’s Chicago Business, and a frequent faculty member and lecturer on myriad family law issues, including prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, business valuation, and high-conflict custody cases for the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education and American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers annual family law conferences. He has also been a faculty member for the past several years at the National Family Law Trial Institute in Houston, Texas.
Education & Publication
Expertise
Robert D. Segal’s skills in corporate law and background in economics transferred easily to his family law practice at Davis Friedman and have given his clients a significant advantage in resolving their complex, high net-worth divorce, child support, spousal support and maintenance, marital and non-marital property division, asset valuation and tax-related cases.
Education
- University of Pennsylvania, B.A., cum laude, 1982
- University of Pennsylvania Law School; Temple University, J.D., 1986
Admissions
- Admitted to the State Pennsylvania Bar, 1986
- Admitted to the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1986
- Admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 1986
- Admitted to the New Jersey State Bar, 1987
- Admitted to the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 1987
- Admitted to the Illinois State Bar, 1994
- Admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 1994
Honors and Awards
- Illinois’ Top Lawyers by peers for Leading Lawyers Network, 2003–Present
- Illinois Super Lawyer, 2006–Present
Articles and Publications
- Course planner and frequent lecturer for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the Chicago Bar Association
- Course planner and frequent lecturer for the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers annual family law conferences
- Faculty member for the past several years at the National Family Law Trial Institute in Houston, Texas.
- Author of numerous articles related to family law in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and other publications
Professional Memberships
- Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2000–Present
- Member, Leading Lawyers Network, 2003–Present
- Member, Super Lawyers, 2006–Present
- Member, Office of the Attorney General Committee on Implementation of Statewide Child Support Forms, 1997–1998