A partner in the Litigation Department, Roberta ("Robbie") A. Kaplan has been chosen by the National Law Journal as one of the top "40 Under 40" lawyers in the United States, a New York "Super Lawyer," and by Lawdragon as one of the 500 leading litigators in the U.S. She has been described as a "pressure junkie" who "thrives on looking at the big picture."

Ms. Kaplan has extensive experience representing major corporate clients like AIG, Fitch Ratings, MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, Inc. and Citigroup in complex, high-profile matters. In recent years, Ms. Kaplan has been active in matters involving mutual funds, U.S. equity research analysts, as well as brokerage practices in the insurance industry and finite reinsurance. As a result, Ms. Kaplan has developed an expertise dealing with the complex interplay between regulatory investigations, criminal prosecutions, and the onslaught of civil lawsuits that follow. Ms. Kaplan also served as lead trial counsel on behalf of the California Public Utilities Commission in connection with the bankruptcy of Pacific Gas & Electric Company resulting from the California Energy Crisis.

Ms. Kaplan’s pro bono work has involved a number of important civil rights and public policy matters. Ms. Kaplan filed a lawsuit on behalf of a dozen same-sex couples who wished to marry in New York. In connection with that lawsuit, Ms. Kaplan was quoted in the April 8 edition of The New York Times as saying that: "It is not about partisan politics, it is not about the culture wars. It is about having the right to visit one's spouse in the hospital or make a medical decision in case of emergency." Although Ms. Kaplan's clients lost that case before the New York Court of Appeals, changes in the political landscape have made it increasingly likely that a marriage bill will be enacted. A video recording of Ms. Kaplan’s oral argument in that case can be viewed at http://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/crtnews.htm. Ms. Kaplan’s role in that case has been recognized by a number of civil rights organizations, including the New York Civil Liberties Union, the New York Chapter of the National Organization for Women, and the Lesbian & Gay Law Association of Greater New York.

While serving as a senior law clerk to Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge of the State of New York, Ms. Kaplan assisted Judge Judith S. Kaye in connection with a number of articles including State Courts at the Dawn of a New Century: Common Law Courts Reading Statutes and Constitutions, 70 NYU L Rev 1-35 (April 1995) and Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts, 1-8 (Robert L. Haig, ed. 1995). Ms. Kaplan also completed a clerkship with Judge Mark L. Wolf of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

During law school, Ms. Kaplan was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. She is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York State Bar Association and The New York Women’s Bar Association. She is the former Chair of Paul, Weiss’ Women's Initiatives Committee, where she instituted comprehensive changes to the firm's flex-time, mentoring and day care policies.