PRACTICE FOCUS
Robert F. Herrmann is the Chair of the firm's New York Construction Law Practice. He represents design professionals and other construction-related firms, privately held businesses and New York City housing cooperatives and condominiums. Bob acts as general counsel to a number of architects, landscape architects, interior designers, lighting designers, engineers, owners, developers and contractors, advising them on general business matters and representing them in litigation, arbitration and mediation.
Prior to joining Offit Kurman, Bob was, for thirty-four years, the managing partner of the New York City law firm of Menaker & Herrmann, where he advised a number of the most prominent architecture and design firms in the country.
Bob is a graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He clerked for Judges Harold R. Medina and Sterry R. Waterman of the U.S. Court of Appeals and began his private practice career at Hughes Hubbard & Reed. He is trained in mediation and is on the American Arbitration Association panel of construction mediators. He also serves as a mediator for the New York State Supreme Court, Commercial Division.
Bob is an Adjunct Professor at the Columbia University School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation where he teaches Advanced Professional Practice to third-year Masters students. He is also a Visiting Professor at Pratt Institute where he teaches Special Topics in Professional Practice to undergraduate architecture students. Bob has led numerous seminars for design professionals on a variety of topics. He is the lead author of Law for Architects: What You Need to Know, published by W.W. Norton.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- "Understanding Issues in Construction Administration," Half Moon Education, (Speaker), , August 2022
- "Managing Risk: What You Need to Know.” LA.IDEA/AIADC and Architect Lady Networking Group (Speaker)
- "Art of Negotiation,” National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Scholars in Professional Practice Conference in San Luis Obispo, California (Speaker)
- “Expanding Business Ownership,” Brick & Wonder Roundtable (Panel Member)
- "10 Provisions Every Owner Architect Agreement Should Include," EntreArchitect (Speaker)
- "Insurance and Indemnification: Two Critical Issues in Contract Negotiation," Maryland Construction Network's Legal Resource Group (Presenter)
- "Critical Legal Issues Every Small Firm Architect Needs to Know," EntreArchitect (Speaker)
- "Starting Your Own Firm: Challenges, Risks, and Rewards," AIA Tri-State Convention - Albany, New York (Speaker)
- "Owner-Architect Agreement: Selection and Negotiation of Key Issues at Contract Document Practicum,” sponsored by ABC Keystone/AIA PA (Presenter)
- Risk Management," National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Scholars in Professional Practice Conference in Washington D.C. (Speaker)
- “Controlling Risk for Architects," Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (Co-Presenter with John Rusk, Rusk Renovations Inc.)
- "Eugene J. Mackey Jr. lecture," Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis co-sponsored by the School of Law (Lecturer)
- "Risk Management," New York State AIA Convention (Panel Member)
- Has taught Professional Practice classes at City College School of Architecture, the University of Pennsylvania, Parsons The New School for Design, Howard University, Boston Architecture College, Tulane University, Oklahoma State University and New York Institute of Technology.
- Numerous Programs (Risk Management, Contract Negotiation, Ownership transition, and Dispute Resolution), New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (Panel Member)
PUBLICATIONS
- "Law for Architects: What You Need to Know"
- "Legal Dimension of Practice and Regulatory Agencies’ Role in Control of Design and Practice of Architecture: Managing Risks and Liabilities for Architects chapter," The Routledge Companion for Architecture Design and Practice (Author)
RECOGNITIONS
- AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5