Address:
95 Merrick Way Street Suite 420 Coral Gables, FL 33134, Florida, United States 33134
Description:
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
Law Offices of Robert J. Merlin, P.A. – Managing Partner – June 2006 - Present
Merlin & Hertz, P.A. – Managing Partner; November 1998 – May 2006.
Robert J. Merlin, P.A. – Managing Partner; September, 1991 - October 1998.
Young, Franklin, Merlin & Berman, P.A. - Partner; December 1990 - August, 1991.
Young, Stern & Tannenbaum, P.A. - Associate; June, 1989 - November, 1990.
Steinberg, Merlin & Slewett, P.A. - Partner; April, 1981 - May, 1989 (Firm previously known as Steinberg & Merlin, P.A.; Steinberg, Wohl & Merlin, P.A.; Steinberg & Wohl, P.A.; Steinberg, Sorota & Wohl, P.A.; and Steinberg & Sorota, P.A.).
August, Pohlig & Milstein - Associate; June, 1980 - March, 1981.
Myers, Kaplan, Levinson, Kenin & Richards - Associate; March, 1979 - May, 1980.
EDUCATION
Legal:
University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida-Juris Doctor: December, 1978 with
Honors; GPA: 3.2; Dean's List - December, 1977 - August 1978; Class Raking - Top 15%.
Cambridge University, Cambridge, England and The Institute of Law-Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland: International Trade Law Program in conjunction with the University of Florida College of Law - Summer, 1978.
Walter F. George School of Law, Mercer University, Macon, Georgia; September, 1976 - May, 1977; GPA: 79.4 (on an 89-point scale), Class Ranking - Number 5 in class of 100.
Undergraduate:
University of Florida - 1976 with Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with major in Accounting, GPA: 3.2
ACTIVITIES AND HONORS
Legal:
Florida Bar Board Certified in Marital and Family Law (1994-Present); First Family Inns of Court (1994-2001 and 2011-Present); Concerned Matrimonial Lawyers of Dade County, Inc.: President (1997-1999), Member of Board (1997-2001).
Admissions: United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida-Trial Bar; United States Circuit Court of Appeals-Eleventh Circuit.
Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator - 2011 - Present.
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts - Member (2001-Present).
Florida Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts – Past President (2015-2016), President (2014-2015), President Elect (2013-2014), Vice President (2012-2013), Member of Board of Directors (2010-2016), Member (2001-Present).
Recipient of Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals President's Award – 2017.
Recipient of FLAFCC President's Award - 2013.
Recipient of Stu Webb Distinguished Service Award from the Collaborative Family Law Institute - 2012.
Collaborative Family Law Institute, Inc.– President (2009-2013), Past Chair of Marketing Committee, Past Secretary, Member of Board and Executive Committee, Member since 2003.
Collaborative Family Law Professionals of South Florida – Member since 2009.
South Palm Beach Collaborative Law Group - Member since founding in 2014 (helped to create organization).
Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals - Member of Board (2012-Present), Member since creation in 2011, President-Elect, Co-Chair of Florida Collaborative Family Law Conference (2014 & 2015), Certification Committee Chair – chairing creation of accreditation standards, helped to create Florida Collaborative Ethical Standards.
International Academy of Collaborative Professionals – Member since 2006; Board Member (2016-Present); Treasurer; Chair of UCLA Advisory Committee 2016-Present and Member since 2014; Fundraising Committee Co-Chair 2016-2019 and Member since 2015; Professional Development Committee (2014).
Worked for eight years to adopt the Uniform Collaborative Law Act in Florida which went into effect on July 11, 2017.
Trainer of interdisciplinary professionals in the Collaborative Family Law Process meeting IACP Trainer Standards (2011-Present) in Miami, Gainesville, Tampa, Boca Raton, Jacksonville, Panama City, Punta Gorda, Fort Lauderdale, and Lakeland, Florida and in Manchester, New Hampshire and Nashville, Tennessee.
Lecturer on Collaborative Family Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law since 2006 and to various local bar associations and other professional and business organizations.
Presenter on Collaborative Family Law at the Florida Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts annual conferences in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019.
Presenter on Collaborative Family Law at the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 FACP Conferences.
Presenter on Peacemaking Practice in 2019.
Presenter on using peacemaking processes in cases with high conflict children’s issues at 2017 conference of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.
Presenter on Hope at the 2017 and 2018 IACP Forums and at the annual Alternative Dispute Resolution conference of the Florida Dispute Resolution Center.
Presenter on Collaborative Family Law at the 2013 national convention of the National Bar Association.
Presenter on Collaborative Family Law to the Florida Association of Psychologists and the Florida Association for Marriage and Family Therapists.
Presenter on Collaborative Family Law on behalf of the Collaborative Family Law Institute through a Daily Business Review presentation - January 2010.
Presenter and lecturer on Collaborative Family Law at basic interdisciplinary Collaborative Law training on behalf of Collaborative Family Law Institute 2010 – 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
2006 Dade County Bar Pro Bono Outstanding Law Firm Award.
1998 Recipient of Florida Eleventh Judicial Circuit Ray H. Pearson Guardian-Ad-Litem Award.
Martindale-Hubbell Rating: AV
Listed: Leading Florida Attorneys in Family Law with Network of Leading American Attorneys;
Martindale-Hubbell
Preeminent Family Law Attorneys;
Florida Super Lawyers; Florida Trend
Magazine Florida Legal Elite; South Florida Legal Guide to Top Lawyers and Law Firms.
The Florida Bar:
Mental Health Committee 2017-2019;
Family Law Rules Committee
–
Chair 2017-2018, Vice Chair 2016-2017 and member since 2014; Family Law Section (Legislation Committee 2009-2013 and Chair or Co-Chair of ADR Committee 2010-2014); American Bar Association and member of Family Law Section; American Trial Lawyers Association (Past Member); Coral Gables Bar Association; Dade County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section, Founder and Co-Organizer of the High School Mock Trial Program, Small Claims Clinic Program - Volunteer (7 Years); Past member of Miami Beach Bar and North Dade Bar Associations.
University of Florida Levin College of Law Center on Children and Families Advisory Board – 2004 - 2008.
Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court Parenting Coordinators Advisory Board (2006-2016).
Law School Activities
University of Florida - Law Review, Research Editor; Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity; International
Law Society - Secretary; John Marshall Bar Association Homecoming Mercer University - Law Review; American Jurisprudence Book Award - Criminal Procedure; Carl Vinson Research Assistant to Professor Richard Creswell; Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity; Student Bar Association Placement Committee.
PUBLICATIONS
"The Marital Home - Will It Come Back to Haunt You?", The Florida Bar Journal, May 1993.
"Developing a Collaborative Family Law Practice" chapter in Aspatore Inside the Minds Series publication of Leading Lawyers on Exploring Collaborative Law, Integrating it Into a Practice, and Implementing Marketing Strategies (2011).
“Collaborative Law Process Act Passes,” The Florida Bar Family Law Section Commentator, Vol XXX, No. 1, Fall 2016.
“The Long and Winding Road to Implementing the Uniform Collaborative Law Act and Rules in Florida,” The American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section Dispute Resolution magazine, Vol 23, No. 2, Winter 2017.
“The Collaborative Law Process Act: The Future Is Now”, The Florida Bar Journal, April 2017.
“The Collaborative Law Process Rules: This is How We Do It”, The Florida Bar Journal, April 2018.
Contributing author to Building a Successful Collaborative Family Law Practice, (Adam Cordover with Forrest S. Mosten) ABA, 2018.
“It is Time to Make Financial Affidavits and Other Documents Private in Family Matters,” The Florida Bar Family Law Section Commentator, Vol 1, No. 1, Winter 2019.
Numerous newspaper articles including in The Miami Herald, The Florida Bar News, South Florida Legal Guide, South Florida Business Journal and Daily Business Review
COMMUNITY:
Greater Miami Jewish Federation: Board of Directors (1988-2015 and 1981-1983); Planning and Distribution Committee (2010-2014); Agency Support Committee (2007-2014); Human Resources Development Chair (2007-2010); South Dade Board of Directors (1990-1992); Leadership Foundation-Founder; PledgeRedemption Committee Chairman (1998-2000); Long Range Strategic Planning Committee (1990-1994); Attorney’s Division Chairman (1996-1998); Judicial Reception Chairman-1995; Campaign Leadership Development Committee-Chairman; 1989 Opening Dinner Co-Chairman; Campaign Committee; Commerce and Professions Division-
Board; Community Relations Committee; Young Adult Division: Chairman (2 years), Campaign Chairman, Vice-Chairman; 1989 Stanley C. Myers Presidents’ Leadership Award; 1983 Sandra Goldstein Atid Young Leadership Award.
Jewish Community Services of South Florida, Inc.: Chair (2004-2006); Vice Chair (2002-2004), Board of Directors (2001-Present), Executive Committee (2001-2008); Planning Committee Chairperson (2001-2004).
Jewish Vocational Services, Inc.:
Board of Directors (1994-2000); Vice-Chairman (1998-2000); Chairman, Strategic Planning Committee (1997-1998); Chairman-Political/Legal Committee (1998-1999); Member of Reconfiguration Committee for merger of Jewish Vocational Services, Inc., Jewish Family Services of Dade County, Inc. and Community Council for Jewish Elderly.
Hillel Foundation, Florida Region: Executive Board (1998-2003); Development Chairman (1998-2002).
University of Florida Hillel – 2008 Gator Award for Outstanding Service Miami Commission on Jewish Continuity.
United Jewish Appeal National Young Leadership Cabinet: Member (7 Years), Florida Regional Chairman, Miami Area Campaign Chairman, Area Washington Conference Chairman, Regional Fly-In Chairman.
Beth David Congregation: Vision 2020; Vice President, Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Parliamentarian, Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, Long Range Planning Committee-Chairman, Rabbi Search Committee, Chair of Merlin Education Fund.
Project Heritage of Florida: Board of Directors (1989-2003).
B’nai B’rith Ko-ach Lodge: Member (8 Years), Publicity Vice President (2 Years).
Jewish Agency for Israel Committee.
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce: 1986-87 Leadership Miami, 1987-88 Leadership Miami Criminal Law Follow-up Session Co-Chairman; 1988-89 Curriculum Committee.
Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce: 1992-94 Board of Directors; 1993 Operation Thank You Chairman; 1993-94 Good Morning Coral Gables Co-Chairman; Host Committee-Chairman; Local Affairs Committee, State and National Affairs Committee; Recruitment Committee; Membership Committee; Retention Committee; Member 1988-2009.
Miami Heat Fan Forum: 2000-2001; 2002-2003.
North Miami Youth Opportunity Board - Founder (1971).
Undergraduate:
Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity: President (2 Years), Vice President (1 Term); President of the Delegates-1975 Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity National Convention; Varsity Track Team; Inter-Fraternity Council (2 Years); President’s Council on Housing
IACP Member:
