Robins Kaplan Creates National Trial Chair, Names New Managing Partner for California

Los Angeles, May, 2015 – The national law firm Robins Kaplan LLP has named distinguished trial lawyer Roman Silberfeld, a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office and member of the firm’s Executive Board, to the newly created position of National Trial Chair. Silberfeld, who has also served as managing partner of Robins Kaplan’s Los Angeles office for the last 20 years, will be succeeded in that role by longtime business litigation partner Michael Geibelson, an original member of that office.

With the new appointments, Robins Kaplan becomes one of the country’s few law firms to create a national leadership position dedicated to bringing the best ideas, techniques, and tactics to its trial practice. Universally respected for his trial skills, Silberfeld has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in tort, contract, trade secret, high technology, and entertainment litigation. He gained national recognition in recent years as lead trial counsel against The Walt Disney Company in litigation over profits from the “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” television game show. In that matter, he secured the largest verdict ever in a “Hollywood accounting” lawsuit, recovering $319 million for his clients.

“Robins Kaplan is proud of its focus as a true trial firm, and Roman has the ideal qualities to be our National Trial Chair,” said Martin Lueck, Chairman of Robins Kaplan’s Executive Board. “He’s a relentless master of the courtroom who brings creative, efficient, and results-oriented representation to every client he serves. He has demonstrated trial success in a broad range of substantive areas and he has a keen sense for the trial perspective of both plaintiffs and defendants. As our National Trial Chair, Roman will guide our firm in continuing to deliver exceptional trial results for clients across all offices, practice areas, and industries.”

Mr. Silberfeld sits on the Board of Directors of the exclusive International Academy of Trial Lawyers as well as Public Counsel, the nation’s largest Pro Bono law organization, and has repeatedly served as court-appointed lead counsel and chair of court-appointed litigation committees in multiparty and complex litigation. Silberfeld is a member of the Commission for Impartial Courts, a commission dedicated to preserving judicial independence in California. Among other honors, he has been named a “Top-Rated Lawyer in IP Law” by American Lawyer Media, a “Power Lawyer” by The Hollywood Reporter, a “Winning Litigator” by The National Law Journal, a “California Attorney of the Year” for entertainment law by California Lawyer, a “Litigator of the Week” by Am Law Litigation Daily and one of only 50 Inspirational Alumni by his Law School.

Robins Kaplan has named Michael Geibelson, a 10-year partner and two-year member of the firm’s Executive Board, to succeed Silberfeld as managing partner of its California offices.

Geibelson, who joined Robins Kaplan in 1995, has achieved trial and litigation successes for retail, technology, real estate, and food and beverage clients in a wide range of business disputes. “Michael exemplifies our unwavering commitment to excel in serving our clients and the community,” Lueck said of Geibelson, who has repeatedly been honored for his pro bono work. Silberfeld added: “Having worked closely with Michael for 20 years, I am confident he will lead our offices with distinction and bring great enthusiasm and dedication to the position. Our future in California is bright with Michael as our leader there.”

“As we celebrate 20 years in Los Angeles, I am honored by the opportunity to build on the firm’s stellar results throughout California,” Geibelson said. “As the managing partner of our Los Angeles and Mountain View offices, I look forward to broadening the array of industries and disciplines in which we practice at the highest level.”

In addition to chairing the firm’s Retail Industry Practice Group, Geibelson has served as the Chair of the Executive Committee of the California State Bar’s Litigation Section and as the Chair of the Editorial Board of Los Angeles Lawyer, a monthly publication of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is also the past President of the Board of Directors of the Disability Rights Legal Center, a nonprofit legal services agency which promotes the rights of people with disabilities in the areas of civil rights, education, and cancer rights advocacy.