Robert Silversmith
Top rated Real Estate attorney in New York, New York
Silversmith & Associates Law Firm, PLLC
Practice areas: Real Estate, General Litigation; view more
Licensed in New York since: 1982
Education: Tulane University Law School
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2011 - 2026 Call today:
917-695-9463
Silversmith & Associates Law Firm, PLLC
39 BroadwaySuite 910
New York, NY 10006 Visit website
Founding The Silversmith & Associates Law Firm, PLLC, in New York City, New York, Robert Silversmith has an experience of over four decades in the field of legal practice. Concentrating on commercial and residential real estate litigation and transactions, administrative proceedings, general commercial litigation and appellate practice, he gives significance to building good relationships with his clients through proper communication and compassionate service.
Graduating in 1976 from Kenyon College, Mr. Silversmith proceeded to obtain his law degree in 1981 from the Tulane University Law School. He is also a master’s graduate in law, with a focus on corporate law and has also secured an M.B.A. from Tulane University – A.B. Freeman School of Business in 1981. He has admissions to New York (1982), Louisiana (1989) and New Jersey (1983).
Mr. Silversmith's commitment to the legal community is demonstrated through his extensive service. He has chaired the Advisory Council of the Housing Part of the Civil Court of the City of New York and the New York County Lawyers Association's (NYCLA) Judiciary Committee. His involvement with NYCLA extends to serving on its Board of Directors, chairing the Civil Court Practice Section for two terms and leading the Commercial Landlord-Tenant Subcommittee. Additionally, he has been an active participant in NYCLA's Committee on Committees, which oversees the organization's numerous committees and contributed to NYCLA's Leadership manual. He served on the Dinner Committees for NYCLA's Supreme Court Committee in 2024 and Civil Court Practice Section in the year 2025 and for 2026.
Recognized for his professional excellence, Mr. Silversmith played a significant role in NYCLA's Task Force on Judicial Budget Cuts. He was recently appointed to NYCLA's 2025 Special Committee on State Court Facilities. As a continuing legal education lecturer, he shares his knowledge with fellow legal professionals. His insights and analyses are frequently sought after and cited in various legal, business and cooperative journals.
Practice areas
Real Estate: Business, General LitigationFocus areas
Condominiums & Cooperatives, Landlord/Tenant, Litigation, Mortgage & Refinance, Restraining Order, Short Sale, Small Claims
- 70% Real Estate: Business
- 30% General Litigation
First Admitted: 1982, New York
Professional Webpage: https://www.silversmithassociates.com/attorney-profiles/
Bar / Professional Activity
- Chairing the Advisory Council of the Housing Part of the Civil Court of the City of New York
- Chairing New York County Lawyers' Association's (NYCLA's) Judiciary Committee
- Dinner Chair, NYCLA's Civil Court Practice Section (CCPS) Annual Dinner at the New York Athletic Club, 2009 Honoring Hon. Fern Fisher, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for New York Courts, Hon. Luis A. Gonzalez, Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Supreme Court, First judicial Department, with Keynote Speaker, Hon. Ann Pfau, Chief Administrative Judge of New York State Courts (2009). Dinner Chair, NYCLA's CCPS Annual Dinner at the New York Athletic Club (2010) Honoring Hon. Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the State of New York and Hon. Sherry Klein Heitler (2010). Dinner Chair, NYCLA's CCPS Annual Dinner at SPQR(2011) Honoring Hon. Fern A Fisher, Hon. Jacqueline Silbermann, Hon. Israel Rubin, Hon. Peter Moulton, Hon. Jeffrey Oing, Hon. Martin Shulman, Hon. Margaret Cammer, Hon. Charles Ramos; Dinner Chair, NYCLA's CCPS Annual Dinner at SPQR (2012) Honoring Hon. Martin Schoenfeld, Justice, Supreme Court, Appellate Term, First Dep't, and Past and Present Supervising Judges of the Housing Court, New York County, Hon. Jean Schneider, Hon. Pam Jackman-Brown, Hon. Ernest Cavallo and with Presentations and Remarks, by Hon. Fern A. Fisher, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for NYC Courts; Dinner Chair, NYCLA's CCPS Annual Dinner at Fino(2013) Honoring Hon Darcel Clark, Hon. Paul Feinman, Hon Judith Gische, Justices of the Appellate Division First Department, with keynote Speaker Hon Sheila Abdus-Salaam, Justice of the Court of Appeals and Remarks by Hon. Fern Fisher, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for NYC Courts; Dinner Chair NYCLA's CCPS Annual Dinner at Fino (2014) Honoring Hon. Barbara Kapnick, Justice, Appellate Division, Hon. Fern A. Fisher, Hon Tanya Kennedy and Hon. David Kaplan; Dinner Chair, NYCLA's CCPS Annual Dinner at Fino(2015) Honoring Hon. Helen Freedman, Hon. Peter Moulton, Hon. Sherry Klein Heitler, Hon. Luis Gonzalez, and Hon Fern Fisher; Dinner Committee, NYCLA's CCPS Annual Dinner at Battery Gardens ( 2016) Honoring Hon. Anthony Cannataro, Hon Ellen Gesmer with remarks by Hon. Fern Fisher; Dinner Co-Chair NYCLA's CCPS Annual Dinner at Battery Gardens( 2017) Honoring Hon. Fern Fisher, Hon. George Silver and Hon. Peter Wendt; Event Co -Chair NYCLA's CCPS Annual Dinner at Battery Gardens ( 2018) Honoring Hon. Paul Feinman and Hon. Debra Samuels and presentation to Michael Miller, President NYSBA; Dinner Chair; member 2019 and 2020 NYCLA's CCPS Annual Dinner Committee; New York County Lawyers Association 85th Annual Dinner(1999) at the Waldorf Astoria, Honoring Hon. Betty Weinberg Ellerin, M. Robert Goldstein, with Speaker Hon. Conrad B Duberstein, Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York. Sponsored Luncheon Forum for Committee on the judiciary, NYCLA, Judicial Independence-Revisited, May 1998, Honoring Hon. Francis T Murphy, Former Presiding Justice Appellate Division First Department, with Speakers Stephen Hoffman, President-Elect NYCLA with award presented to Hon. Israel Rubin, Associate Justice, Appellate Division, First Department; Chair, Judiciary Committee, NYCLA, June 1997 to May 2000. Board of Directors, NYCLA, June 1997 to May 2000. Chair and Member of the Advisory Council of the Housing Part of the Civil Court of the City of New York, 1998 to 2000. Chair, Civil Court Practice Section, NYCLA 1993 to 1997 and a second term 2005 to 2008. Member of NYCLA's Committee on Committees 2002-2003. Member Independent Screening Panel. Member of NYCLA's Physical Facilities Committee. Member of Court appointed internal Committee, Residential Landlord-Tenant Committee by Chair Hon. Sara lee Evans 1994-95. Member of Court appointed Internal Committee, Housing Court Initiative Committee, appointed by Hon. Sara Lee Evans and Hon. Marian Doherty to review matters pertaining to the Housing Court 1997-1998 ; Member of NYCLA's Foundation 2005 and 2006; Appointed in June 2011 to NYCLA's Task Force on Judicial Budget Cuts and as Chair of its subcommittee on the Civil Court; Selected to the 2011, 2012 ,2013 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 New York Super Lawyers; Panelist -Public Hearing as to NYCLA's Task Force on Judicial Budget Cuts, December 2, 2013; Member of NYCLA 2015 drafting committee for report regarding pensions, 'Death Gamble" of Judges who die in service; Member of NYCLA 2016 Task Force on Court Records Destruction, with respect to the warehouse fire that destroyed court archives.
Videos
- As a member of the video roundtable of lawyers, I participate in topical conversations primarily on real estate related issues. The first will be aired on television on February 28, 2011 on the Manhattan neighbourhood network, "Could your Super be a sex o, 2011
Special Licenses / Certifications
- Licensed in New York, New Jersey and Louisiana
Pro bono / Community Service
- As chair of the Civil Court Practice Section, in the 1990's, I arranged for the donation of furniture and medical supplies for to the civil court. Our leadership initiated programs to train arbitrators for small claims court. The Section was awarded the American Bar Association Award for best pro bono project. I gave a lecture in the Bronx on How to become a Judge As a member of the Housing Court Advisory Council, I participated in panel meetings in Kings County to discuss the manner in which the courts could be improved As a member of the Civil Court Practice Section, I participated in an outreach program to obtain a diversity of small claims arbitrators and participated in a swearing in ceremony in Harlem
Educational Background
- LLM, New York University, 1983
- MBA, Tulane University 1981
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Presented Lectures on Commercial and Residential Holdover Proceedings at the Jack Newton Lerner Lecture Series of New York County Lawyers Association CLE Program in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. How to Become a judge Lecture. Moderated CLE Course at New York County Lawyers' Association " Service of Process in the Digital Age: Understanding the New Process Server Regulations" May 21, 2012.
- New York County Lawyer: February 2014, Article on the Public Hearing that took place on December 2, 2013 with respect to the NYCLA Task Force on Judicial Budget Cuts, Panelist and Reporter
Other Outstanding Achievements
- I was awarded a Certificate of Merit from the Civil Court Administration at a dinner in 1996 for my work in the Civil Court, 1996
Honors
- Cerificate of Merit presented in 1996 by the Civil Court Administration for my efforts on behalf of the Civil Court
Industry Groups
- Business
- Real Estate
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2011 - 2026
