Current Employment Position(s)

Partner, since 1994

Year Joined Organization: 1994

Lawyer Overview

Robin Meadow is a frequent go-to guy when other GMSR lawyers confront a legal issue that needs a vigorous analytical workout. Robin is in his element dissecting the law and shaping appellate strategy. He combines a degree of excitement about the law more often seen in new lawyers with a depth and breadth of expertise honed in 35 years of practice. Robin joined GMSR as a partner in 1994, after 23 years as a trial and appellate lawyer in a major commercial firm. He brought to GMSR not only deep experience in many areas of commercial law, but also a practical understanding of the trial courts that is rare in the appellate bar. He has, for example, successfully defended lender liability actions before both juries and appellate courts. Robin has continued to focus his practice on business disputes involving such areas as real estate, title insurance, partnerships, professional malpractice and intellectual property, and in all of these areas his appellate work has resulted in groundbreaking decisions. He also has substantial expertise in family and healthcare law.

Robin's practice reflects his longstanding interest in technology. A pioneer in the use of electronic records and briefs, Robin co-authored the Second District Court of Appeal's protocol for electronic briefs (since adopted by other districts), and he filed the first electronic brief ever accepted by that court. His leadership in technological matters has helped keep GMSR at the forefront of appellate firms in this rapidly-evolving area. Just as he does within the firm, Robin has shared his expertise with the legal community, through countless articles and lectures on business litigation and appellate law.

Robin has been a member of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers since 1988, serving as its president in 2005-2006, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. He is listed in 'The Best Lawyers in America' and was named one of the 'Top 100 Southern California Super Lawyers for 2006.'

In addition, throughout his career Robin has been active in the organized bar and community organizations. Among many other activities, he served as the president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (2003-2004); as the chair of many Association committees, including its Appellate Courts Committee (2001-2003); as the president of Public Counsel (the nation's largest pro bono legal services organization); and as the president of Hathaway Children and Family Services (a nationally-recognized multi-service organization focusing on vulnerable children and their families). He has also served for many years on the Board of Directors of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California.

Robin is a graduate of the Boalt Hall School of Law (J.D. 1971, Order of the Coif) and the University of California, Berkeley (1968).

When he isn't practicing law, Robin enjoys long-distance cycling, reading history, and playing bass guitar in a rock band.

Areas of Practice

• Appellate Law
• Arbitration and Settlement Enforcement
• Business Litigation
• Entertainment Law
• Family Law
• Healthcare Law
• Probate and Trusts
• Real Property

Representative Cases

• Weinberg v. Cedars Sinai Medical Center, 119 Cal.App.4th 1098 (2004)
• Sargent Fletcher, Inc. v. Able Corp., 110 Cal.App.4th 1658 (2003)
• Summit Industries of Nevada, Inc. v. Los Angeles Community Development Bank, Cal.App. Unpub. Lexis 1366 (2003)
• Vallely Investments v. BancAmerica Commercial Corp., 88 Cal.App.4th 816 (2001)
• Lewis v. Superior Court, 30 Cal.App.4th 1850 (1994)

West Practice Categories

Arbitration, Bankruptcy Law, Business & Commercial Law, Entertainment, Trusts, Family Law, Health & Health Care Law, Intellectual Property Law, Federal Appellate Practice, State Appellate Practice, Probate & Estate Administration, Real Estate Law

Bar Admissions

• California, 1972
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1987
• U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1972
• U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1972
• U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 1974
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1979

Certification/Specialties

• Appellate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization, 1997

Professional Associations and Memberships

• California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, 2006 - 2007 (President)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 2003 - 2004 (President)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1988 - 1992 (Association Representative to the Children's Court Design Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1978 - 1983 (Appellate Courts Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1980 - 1983 (Chair)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1979 - 1981 (Judicial Evaluation Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1983 - 1985 (Judicial Evaluation Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1983 - 1985 (Chair)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1988 - 1989 (Co- Chair, Juvenile Justice Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1989 - 2001 (Appellate Elections Evaluation Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1992 - 1994 (Vice-Chair)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1989 - 1993 (Professional Liability Insurance Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1995 - 2000 (Audit & Finance Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1997 - 2000 (Co-Chair)
• Los Angeles County Bar Foundation, 1989 - 1990 (Member, Board of Director)
• American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, 1989 - 2001 (Appellate Advocacy Committee)
• Steering Committee and Mediator, Mediation Program, California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, 1995 - 2000 (Member)
• Chancery Club of Los Angeles (Member)

Honors and Awards

• Appellate, Southern California Super Lawyers, 2004 - 2009
• Top 100 Southern California Super Lawyers, 2006
• Named in The Best Lawyers in America (Appellate Law), 2006 - 2010

Classes and Seminars

• Technology for Everyday Appellate Practice, State Bar of California Annual Meeting, 2006
• Winning Strategies Using Legislative Intent, State Bar of California Annual Meeting, 2006
• The California Supreme Court - A Justice's Perspective (Moderator), Association of Business Trial Lawyers, 2006
• Steering Through the Minefield: How to Protect the Record on Appeal, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, 2005
• Business Litigation in the Court of Appeal, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, 2004
• Selected Insights on California Supreme Court Practice, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Appellate Courts Committee, 2003
• Panelist, Electronic Appellate Practice: Show and Tell, Riverside County Bar Association, Appellate Law Section, 2003
• Common Errors on Appeal, California Center for Judicial Education and Research, 2003
• Electronic Appellate Practice: Show and Tell, Orange County Bar Association, College of Appellate Advocacy, 2002
• Legal Research on the Internet, Appellate Judicial Attorneys Institute, 2001
• California Appellate Practice - A Primer for Trial Lawyers, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, 2001
• Bad Faith, Buss and the Duty to Defend, Title Insurance Subsection of the Los Angeles County, 2000
• Thinking Ahead During Trial: How to Protect and Use the Rocord on Appeal, Litigation Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association / Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, 2000
• Appellate Practice: A Primer for Trial Lawyers, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, 2001
• Law and Motion, Los Angeles County Bar Association Litigation Section, 1999 - 2000
• California Appellate Practice - A Primer for Trial Lawyers, North Santa Barbara County Bar Association, 1999
• How To Be an Effective Appellate Court Mediator, Los Angeles County Bar Association Appellate Courts Committee and Dispute Resolution Services, 1999
• California Appellate Practice, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, 1999
• Law and Motion, Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1999 - 2000
• The Virtual Brief, Center for Judicial Education and Research, 1999
• Electronic Appellate Advocacy, Orange County Bar Association Appellate Law Section, 1999
• Written Advocacy/Law & Motion, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, 16th Annual Las Vegas Convention, 1998
• Appellate Law for Trial Lawyers and for Those Who Supervise Them, Chicago Title Insurance Company, 1997
• Hot Issues from Trial to Appeal, Los Angeles County Bar Association Litigation Section, 1997
• Appellate Settlement Conferences - Different Strokes for Different Folks, Los Angeles County Bar Association Appellate Courts Committee, 1997
• Appellate Settlement Conferences - Techniques for Settlement Officers, Los Angeles County Bar Association Appellate Courts Committee, 1996
• Creating a Winning Record on Appeal: What Trial Lawyers Need to Know, San Fernando Valley Bar Association, 1995
• What's New in Tort and Trial: 1994 in Review, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, 1995
• Ponzi Schemes and Trust Deed Fraud, Title Insurance Subsection of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Real Property Section, 1993
• teering Through the Minefield: How to Protect the Record on Appeal, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education Convention, 1993
• Protecting the Record on Appeal, California Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, 1990
• Condomium Homeowners Associations, CEB, 1985 - 1986
• Condomium Homeowners Associations, Los Angeles County Bar Association Benjamin S. Crocker Symposium, 1983

Pro Bono Activities

• Member, Board of Directors, Public Counsel (pro bono legal services) (President, 1994-1995), 1988 - 1996

Past Employment Positions

• Loeb and Loeb, Chair, Litigation Department, 1971 - 1994

Education

• University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, Berkeley, California, 1971
  J.D.
  Honors: Order of the Coif
  
  Law Review: California Law Review, Associate Editor
• University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 1968
  A.B.
  Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
  Major: Speech and Rhetoric

Published Works

• The Looming Crisis in California's Courts, Los Angeles Lawyer, July-August 2003, 2003
• Appellate Law: Bearing the Burden of Increasing Caseloads, Los Angeles Lawyer, March, 2002
• A Smile on His Face and In His Heart (Tribute to the Late Hon. Stephen E. O'Neil), ABTL Report, October, 2001
• Lawyers, Mediators Should Applaud the "Foxgate" Ruling (Co-Author), Los Angeles Daily Journal, July 25, 2001
• Bowling Alone (Book Review), ABTL Report, June, 2001
• Proximate Cause: A Question of Fact or Policy? (Co-Author), ABTL Report, February, 2000
• Objections: The Moment of Truth (Co-Author), ABTL Report, June, 1999
• Clear and Convincing Evidence: How Much is Enough?, California Insurance Law & Regulation Reporter, May, 1999
• Title Defense (Co-Author), Los Angeles Lawyer, May, 1998
• Obtaining, Enforcing, and Defending Against Sanctions in State and Federal Court (Consultant), CEB, 1997
• Oral Argument et al.: An Interview With Justice Norman Epstein, ABTL Report, February, 1997
• An Appealing Settlement Program, ABTL Report, May, 1996
• California Civil Appellate Practice (Consultant), CEB 3d ed, 1996
• Is It Too Late to Settle? Problems with Settlement After Adjudication (Co-Author), ABTL Report, February, 1996
• Heirs Unapparent (Co-Author), Los Angeles Lawyer, June, 1994
• Taking Control of the Record on Appeal (Co-Author), Los Angeles Lawyer, March, 1993
• Appealability of Trial Court Orders, Los Angeles Lawyer, May, 1992
• Summary Judgment Motions, Los Angeles Lawyer, May, 1991
• Protecting the Record on Appeal (Co-Author), Los Angeles Lawyer, August - September, 1990
• Special Issue on Appellate Practice (Co-Editor), Los Angeles Lawyer, August - September, 1990
• The Lawyer's Image Is No Joke, Los Angeles Lawyer, September, 1986
• Sanctions for Frivolous Appeals, Los Angeles Lawyer, September, 1985
• Television Formats - The Search for Protection, Nathan Burkan Symposium, 1970
• Television Formats - The Search for Protection, 58 Cal. L.Rev. 1169, 1970

Address

5900 Wilshire Boulevard
12th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Phones

(310) 859-7811

Faxes

(310) 276-5261

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.gmsr.com
http://www.greinesmartin.com